Pope John Paul II Cultural Center

The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center is constructed of limestone, granite, copper and sandblasted glass, and presented a daunting electrical construction challenge. The unique design of the Center includes: extensive site lighting that leads to a reflecting pool framing the front of the façade and the chapel; a bold, double-height cylindrical entrance; the symbolic copper clad wing that covers the building; and the transparent rear wall of sandblasted glass lent an enormous degree of difficulty to the task of lighting the facility. It was important to install the lighting in a way that would highlight the magnificence of the structure, but would in itself be unobtrusive and hidden. The extensive use of exposed architectural stonework necessitated that all coordination and rough-in be done early and accurately as there would be no room for adjustments later.

Several areas in particular merit special attention. The first is the Main Conference Room. It features a magnificent fiber optic chandelier with 420 points of light. It is set in an inverted dome, surrounded by 80 down lights. The feature is accented by a circular cove with low voltage lights to softly bathe the dome in light. The Exhibits Gallery features 1200 feet of gently sloping ramp, zigzagging back and forth as it changes elevation. The ramp is highlighted by a cable track system, run in the exposed concrete. All feeds and connections are invisible to the eye. In total, this facility required over 2000 feet of architectural track lighting and 1000 feet of low-voltage, cove lighting to accent the building’s features.