SentryGlas laminated glass for cathedral restoration
Laminated glass
A key feature of the new
restoration of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, California (USA), originally dedicated in 1889, is the reopening of an
interior central dome, which had been covered over since the 1930s.
The restored inner dome, with its brilliantly coloured, 7.3 m- (24 ft-) diameter lay light incorporating DuPont SentryGlas Expressions from Digiglass, decorative laminated glass technology in lieu of traditional stained glass, at once dramatically alters the interior look of the Cathedral, allowing light to filter down from high above, and complies with today's safety standards for overhead glazing.
The restored inner dome was a highlight of the Cathedral's January 2005 rededication ceremonies. The lay light glass provider was Arch Deco Glass, a division of Arch Aluminum & Glass of Colombus, Ohio.
According toVanir Construction Management, thataesthetically, the result using SentryGlas Expressions decorative glass technology is wonderful than it could have anticipated. Vanir Construction Management had first assumed that it would use traditional, leaded stained glass but the building code requirements specified that it needed to incorporate a layer of laminated glass beneath the stained glass for overhead safety reasons.
Vanir Construction Management then looked at using laminated glass with coloured films but it could not obtain a result giving it the design freedom it wanted, or that resembled traditional stained glass.
When Vanir Construction Management discovered SentryGlas Expressions and showed the technology to its EverGreene Painting Studios, they all quickly agreed that it would be a fabulous solution to their needs, aesthetically and functionally.
The colour matching between the 16 flat, pyramid-shaped pieces of laminated glass surrounding the centrepiece is good, allowing to use a repeat design that is undetectable to the naked eye.
The 2.1 m- (7 ft-) diameter, sixteen-faceted centrepiece itself depicts a heavenly white dove amidst radiant clouds symbolising the Holy Spirit that is breathtaking in its simplicity and powerfully executed. The dove hovers, safely - 33.5 m (110 ft) directly above the altar of the Cathedral, showering coloured light down onto it with a lovely effect.
In a sense this decorative glass piece at once hints at a technique that is thousands of years old, traditional stained glass, but also, because it feels a little different (the colours are not so deep, the lead lines not as dark), it translates the design to the architectural vernacular of the times in a pleasing way.
In summary, the use SentryGlas Expressions for the lay light was a splendid solution on three fronts, cost efficiency; meeting the safety codes and unique visuals, both during the day and when the dome is illuminated at night.
16-Apr-2007