Making History – Abingdon School Chapel.
Belatedly following on from our last missive, we take another look at Abingdon School Chapel.
From start to finish earlier this year, our work at Abingdon School Chapel took 9 years. Even in an industry of long lead times, that is very long time indeed. But sometimes you have to be patient. Sometimes you have to wait until every thing is ready and the proper conditions are met. Sometimes there is nothing to do but get on with your life and let nature take its course. It is when you let the world order itself around you and stop pushing the job down the pipeline, that great things happen. We said previously that some relationships can define you in unexpected ways and that our collaboration with Nicholas Mynheer, the designer of the chapel windows, is one of those relationships. If Nick and Davia, our creative head, had not met, there is every liklihood this project would not be as good as it is. That is not hyperbole, or big headedness, it is simply recognition of the artistic connection the they both share, which has given rise to a unique art-cum-glazing project.
When Nick was first contacted by Abingdon School to produce the Trinity Window, behind the Altar, he thought of Fused glass and of Daedalian, having worked with us previously. That section of the project was finished in 2004 and was, in itself a project we were proud to put in our CV. However shortly after completion, some money was bequeathed to the school by a former master, Hugh Randolf. It was decided to use the money to create two more, monochrome, windows in his memory. Having done three of the nine windows already, Nick floated the idea of glazing the entire chapel, interspersing the planned monochromatic panels with more full colour fused pieces. That way the light into the space could be maximised and the cost also kept affordable. In Nick’s vision all the chapel windows would be thematically tied, using the school and church calendar to inspire scholastic and Christian iconography. Having, by then, a long standing relationship with Davia, it made sense to bring Daedalian in again, to complete the project. Davia has developed the artistic sensitivity and glass working skill to transfer Nick’s painted designs successfully into windows which cause delight, solemnity and reflection in equal measure.
The windows are made exclusively from Bullseye fusing glass. It is the only raw fusing glass we use and is central to the success of the Mynheer windows. Each panel is a roughly 30mm thick single piece of glass. By using glass fusing, as opposed to the more traditional stained glass, we are able to eliminate the leads, essential in stained glass, while retaining and enhancing the intense colours and illuminated quality. The uniqueness of this work lies in the combination of traditional figurative, iconic design and modern glass working techniques. Each element is a new take on established forms. Nick Mynheer’s design is contemporary and modern, while depicting traditional scenes, while fused glass captures the best of stained glass, with clean lines and vibrant colours, while using relatively advances techniques to eliminate structural and visual weaknesses.
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Abingdon School Chapel – Mynheer Windows
Every so often relationships come along that can define who you are and what you do with your life. This is true in our business, as much as in our personal lives. We have had the priviledge to strike such a relationship with Ecclesiastical artist Nicholas Mynheer. Daedalian has worked with him numberous times in the past, most recently mentioned here on our Blog about Islip Church. But our relationship, and particularly the artistic relationship between our Design Head Davia and Nick, goes back to the early 2000′s.
Abingdon School Chapel has been a project nine years in the making and was completed just over a week ago. This project was a unique opportunity in ecclesiastical architecture, as it is one of the few complete re-fits occuring in Britain’s ancient Christian places of worship and as such, it was not a chance Nick would pass by lightly. The earliest work we did on the project was finished in 2004 and constituted nine Altar windows. The remaining windows that we have just installed fullfil Nick’s vision for windows which not only beautify the space, but have a pastoral function, teaching the boys about how their lives at the school relate to their god.
With his unique style and dedication to the Christian faith Nick has put himself at the forefront of ecclesiastical design in Britain and we are delighted to take part in his vision.
We will be covering more of Abingdon School Chapel in a future blog installment, where we will talk more about Nick and Davia’s relationship, the function of the windows and the technical qualities behind the work, and most importantly be featuring more images of these beautiful windows!