Mirfield is home to the Community of the Resurrection, an Anglican Benedictine Order of monks. The church at Mirfield Abbey is an important grade two listed building built on a grand Byzantine model in the 1920s. It has been completely refurbished in order to provide level disabled access throughout, underfloor heating and a beautifully considered clean space for prayer and worship.
Mark Cazalet and Daedalian Glass Studios were commissioned to produce two glass screens enclosing the Ascension Chapel, in order to produce the newly named Chapel of Reconciliation. This glass enclosed chapel will be used for individual and group counselling. The screens serve a dual purpose in acting as a modesty screen and sound baffle whilst creating a startlingly rich space in which the work of spiritual guidance can take place.
Design and Production
There are two screens approximately 3.5 metres wide and 5.5 metres high. The screens are frameless and made with toughened float glass, heat soak tested. They are set within two existing stone arches, the lower sections of the glass have a sandblasted and hand engraved design to original artwork by Mark Cazalet. We have worked with Mark on many glass art projects since 1999, the first being the Millennium window at Worcester Cathedral.
Our creative director, Davia Walmsley worked alongside Mark to layer the artwork for the project, creating a foreground and background for sandblasting onto both sides of the glass. This particular element is a very technical, detailed and time consuming process, stencils are produced especially for the project and both sides of the glass are sandblasted creating a three dimensional, multi-tonal effect. This is then further enhanced by hand engraving and acid etching fine detail which in this case was carried out by Mark Cazalet himself over a three week period.
The imagery on the east facing screen is concerned with Mary Magdalen washing Christ’s feet, grieving at the stone in front of Christ’s tomb on Easter Saturday, and meeting the resurrected Christ as a gardener on Easter Day. The south facing screen is a single scene depicting Mary Magdalen on her way to wrap and anoint Christ’s body in the tomb, the Angels beckon here forward. Handles for the doors are made in lead crystal, cast as apple shapes for the south door and rocks for the east door, UV bonded to the door.
Installation
The screens are frameless, each top panel held on glass clamps fixed into the existing stone or brickwork. The stainless steel transom rail is bolted into the stonework and holds the door pivots. The bottom side panels are fixed into floor channels, the pivot doors on concealed underfloor springs.
Original Artwork For The East ScreenOriginal Artwork For The South ScreenMirfield Abbey – Full Size ArtworkFull Size Artwork 1Stencil PreparationDetail SandblastingValery Taylor, Studio Manager and Sandblaster ExtraordinaireMark Cazalet Hand EtchingInstallation of East ScreenEast Screen CompletedSouth Screen InstallationSandblasting and Engraving DetailSandblasting and Engraving Detail 1Sandblasting and Engraving Detail 2Sandblasting and Acid Etch DetailSandblasting and Etching Detail3-5mm Fitting ToleranceInstallation Team – Martyn Slater, Chris Walmsley & Steven Thorpe
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