Contemporary glazing in traditional churches

Many churches now employ modern architectural glazing in the creation of doors and internal screens. The glazing can improve the energy performance of the buildings without affecting their traditional structures.

Toughened glass screens can be used to partition areas inside the church. One church in London has turned its transepts into separate rooms to create a coffee area on one side and a sound-proof room for parents with crying children on the other.

The glass is edged with silicone bubbles which offer an acoustic seal without damaging the church’s stonework.

In other churches across the UK, glazed screens have been installed to display silverware. The glass allows the artifacts to remain on display whilst the building is left unattended.

Glazed doors

Installing glazed doors can help make churches feel more accessible to the public whilst maintaining protection against harsh weather. They can also maximise the amount of natural light entering the building.

To fit glass doors in churches, architectural glazing specialists must take the arched-topped structure of churches into account and ensure that the doors they fit will not grow in height as they rotate.

The church may also require the manufacture of a glass sub-frame or shallow box structure inside the main door to prevent draught. A draught lobby for the main foyer of the church may also be requested.

Contractors must make individual glazing systems for each church and plan their installation process around the church’s calendar.