Canterbury Cathedral

The Canterbury Cathedral organ project involved a series of measures to improve the performance and arrangement of the cathedral organ. A complete replacement of the 1886 installations are replaced by a new larger organ, located in the North and South Triforia. The existing console was replaced and relocated into a newly built freestanding organ loft within the North Quire.

Our role involved the design and integration of the new network of power, data and audio visual sources that supported and connected the various strands of the project.

New Organ Loft - North Quire

A new network of fibre optic cables had to be routed throughout the Cathedral to provide communication between the new console, main organs, distributed sound and cctv systems. Fire alarm and low voltage cabling were also adapted and extended.

Tracing and careful lifting of the histroric floor ducts allowed routing for the cabling to be developed and drawn.

Overal Data Schematic

The new organ loft provides an elevated place in the central part of the Cathedral for the organist to sit at their console and play in a position closer to the choir and with a clear sight of the choirmaster. The timber box for the organist is raised up on a light steel framework.

New Organ Loft Wiring

A multi-strand fibre optic cable, a fire alarm cable and a low voltage cable route up into the loft from the historic floor duct concealed through hollow legs of the steel structure.

The loft interior is very space restricted. Power and connectivity for the organ and supplementary power, audio and visual systems are co-ordinated and integrated into two small, interconnected joinery units located next to the organist.
LCD screens are arranged to allow the Organist to see entrance points to the Cathedral with low latency.

Organ Loft Connectivity