James Gibbs great church was completed in 1726 and has recently undergone complete renovation and restoration. The original vision of Gibbs was to have no stained glass and that all glazing was to be made up of simple mouth blown glass. Its most important aspect in the East elevation and the new East Window is a monochromatic design celebrating light. It is an abstract design, but has strong religious, spiritual and architectural resonances.

The window is held within a shot peened stainless steel framework comprising of hand made glass panels etched on both sides with a subtle feathery pattern based on fragments of Houshiary’s paintings. The warp and weft design of the structure and the twist at its centre creates a vertical energy echoing the agony of cross.

The central ellipse is an icon of contemplation and echoes the original architectural and decorative elements within the church. Each evening the ellipse is subtly lit and increases with the fading light to create a strong visual effect that can be seen from both inside and outside 

St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London.

Completed, 2008.

In collaboration with Shirazeh Houshiary.

Photos by James Morris.