If you’ve studied at OCMS, attended a conference, or spent time researching in our library, you will know the church of St. Philips and St. James well. It is a remarkable space — rich in history, character and stories — but also one that many will remember as dimly lit, with ageing fittings and lighting that has long struggled to support its everyday use as a place of study, learning and gathering.
Thanks to the generosity of our donor community towards our Building Project Fund, OCMS is able to begin making much-needed improvements to this much-loved space in discrete and carefully planned phases. Earlier this year, this included improvements to our heating system with a replacement boiler. On 8 December, we began the next phase: a comprehensive lighting project, due to be completed by the end of January, all being well.
This is not simply about replacing bulbs. OCMS has commissioned CES Lighting, specialists in ecclesiastical and heritage lighting, to develop a holistic lighting and electrical plan for the entire main auditorium — including the Old Church worship area, chancel, gallery and aisles — bringing the system up to modern safety standards while honouring the historic fabric of the building.
What will change?
The project will introduce new, energy-efficient LED lighting throughout, designed to support the varied life of the space: study and research during the week, conferences and seminars, worship and special events.
Key elements include:
- General lighting to improve light levels across desks, aisles and study areas
- Enhanced accent lighting to highlight the historic architecture of the old chancel and apse
- Improved staging lighting for lectures and events
- A bespoke LED chandelier for the Lady Chapel
- Simple, flexible controls using a modern DALI dimming system
- Emergency lighting compliant with British standards and OCMS risk assessments
- Minimal maintenance solutions, particularly for high-level fittings that are currently difficult to access
All wiring is being reviewed and upgraded to ensure safety and reliability for years to come.
Respecting history, supporting learning
One of the core challenges of this project is balancing the beauty of a historic church building with its present reality as a working academic library. The design carefully considers how to:
- Provide appropriate light levels for learning,
- Respond sensitively to the church architecture,
- Improve lighting without impacting the historic fabric, and
- Reduce future maintenance demands.
As the photos show, this is a complex and carefully managed process. We are deeply grateful for the patience of students, staff and visitors during the works, and for the care and skill of those carrying them out.
Looking ahead
While this lighting project marks a significant step forward, it also forms part of a wider vision for the OCMS building. We continue to raise funds for the next important phase of our building project: the overhaul of the kitchen area to create a multi-purpose hospitality suite.
This space will enable us to serve our community of scholars and visitors more effectively, and to be more open and hospitable to our neighbourhood and wider community of supporters in Oxford.
We look forward to sharing more when the work is complete early in the new year and to welcoming you back into the Old Church, quite literally, in new light.