BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON
HISTORIC CHURCHES
21ST ANNUAL EDITION
27
using the meeting space on the gallery floor
have an uninterrupted view of the nave while
the natural light provided by the magnificent
stained glass windows is unimpeded.
Hurst College, an independent school in
Sussex has a long-standing tradition of regular
worship, conducted in a glorious chapel built in
the late 1800s. The school has increased in size
and no longer had enough room in the chapel
for the regular whole-school service. The high
Victorian ceilings, however, provided sufficient
space to build an unobtrusive suspended
gallery above the main chapel entrance.
The design included a channel-set
glass balustrade around the gallery with
straight panels and concealed fixings.
The balustrade was finished with a
polished steel handrail, in keeping with
other glass installations in the school.
PROTECTING STAINED GLASS
Making structural changes to the body of a
church can raise floor levels so that windows
previously high above ground level become
accessible and at risk of damage. One solution
is to install a glass panel in front of the
original window. A sensitive approach to
design and installation is needed to ensure the
surrounding stonework isn’t damaged while
at the same time protecting the window and
meeting current building specifications.
The new gallery floor at St Andrew
Undershaft is reached via a new
staircase that sits directly in front of the
splendid stained glass windows and a
barrier was essential for protection.
A series of individual glass panels was
installed in front of the stone mullions using
purpose-made stainless steel supports and
spider fixings (above right) to stand the glass off
the stone and avoid any damage to the carved
surface. The result is a stylish span of glass at
the side of the stairs that highlights and protects
the leaded windows without obscuring their
intrinsic beauty or blocking natural light.
At St Peter’s Church in the village of
Dunchurch, near Rugby a new bell-ringing
platform in the church tower created a
room at the same height as the stained glass
window. An over-sized glass panel was
manufactured to fit in a single span in front
of the window with bespoke stainless steel
fixings to hold the glass in place. The panel
is unobtrusive but protects the window
from users of the bell-ringing platform.
A CLEAR WELCOME
Installing glass doors, preferably in addition
to rather than as a replacement for traditional
wooden doors, provides a secure but welcoming
entrance that meets a range of modern needs.
Glass entrance screens make it easier to install
alarms and security protection, and create
a barrier against noise, traffic fumes and
heat loss while allowing a clear view of the
interior, welcoming people into the church.
Bespoke doors can be customised to
reflect the spirit of the individual church:
at St Peter’s in Dunchurch handles were
manufactured to reflect the exact arch of the
nave; other churches have opted for an applied
glass motif to echo designs incorporated
into the altar cloth or carved screens.
At St Andrew Undershaft where the church
is primarily used as a centre for Bible studies,
a pair of secure glass doors was fitted inside
the existing wooden doors. The doors are set
into a stone archway with fixed glass panels
on either side and an arched glass over-panel,
all of which had to be accurately shaped to the
stone and fixed in place with stainless steel
clamps. Detailed and accurate measurements
were taken to ensure that the glass fits
perfectly against the original stonework.
It is possible to avoid the need for a visually
obtrusive lock in the middle of a glass entrance
door by fitting electromagnetic locks at the
top or bottom. At St Andrew Undershaft a
stainless steel transom houses the upper pivot
point for the pivot doors and acts as a fixing
point for the electromagnetic locks, which
are linked to the church alarm system.
Glass is a versatile material that opens up
many possibilities, allowing historic churches
to meet modern requirements with minimal
impact on the original structure. To ensure
that the completed project meets all design and
installation criteria and is fully compliant with
current regulations, it is important to use an
experienced glass specialist from the outset.
PETER HAZELDEAN
is a leading architectural
glass expert and managing director of Ion
Glass (
. He has over two
decades of experience in structural glass with
involvement in a wide range of heritage and
contemporary projects. His technical expertise is
regularly engaged to provide bespoke, beautiful
and structurally robust solutions in glass design
within churches and other heritage buildings.
Holy Trinity, Sloane Square, London: structural
glass fins provide stability to a glass partition
A curved balustrade St Andrew Undershaft in the City of London
A spider fixing at St Andrew Undershaft
