With the demolition of every chapel, church, monastery, school or historic building, we risk losing authentic stained glass windows. And people often worry that when they move house, it will not be possible to take their stained glass with them. But they haven’t reckoned with Atelier Mestdagh. Together with the client, we explore the (possible) options for a suitable location and a worthy, appropriate way to integrate them elsewhere.
Ancient splendour in a new location
Stained glass panels often have a long history. The historic and social importance of these panels is usually immense. It would therefore be a pity to see them destroyed.
We apply all the tricks of the trade to use historic stained glass in new architecture. How we do that depends on the circumstances, the technical feasibility and the heritage value of the stained glass. Layout and lighting are also crucial to successfully moving stained glass windows and letting them sparkle again in their new home.
Fortunately, we have a lot of in-house expertise. Katrien Mestdagh wrote her master’s thesis about the repurposing of monumental stained glass windows, while the presence of experienced artist Ingrid Meyvaert is often also valuable in such projects.
Challenges? They are there to be overcome!
Atelier Mestdagh explores all the options with the client and suggests creative solutions to integrate old stained glass windows in new architecture, perhaps with a few smart adjustments to the stained glass or the structure. In doing so, we always take the utmost care when removing and handling the old window.
And innovative LED lighting makes it possible to use the windows in many different areas. The artificial lighting means that we no longer need daylight to see a stained glass window in the best possible light.
Every project brings its own challenges, which Atelier Mestdagh embraces as a team. In this way, every solution is tailored to the specific stained-glass window involved.
