It’s all about the detail.
What one sees in the final result of a process may often be pleasing, especially if the impression is one of harmony and simplicity. For example, when we watch and listen to a virtuoso musician, the music sounds effortless and the artist appears relaxed. It all looks so easy. To make something appearing simple and ‘just right’ is only possible through an assured practice of the art, through many years of practice and dedication.
This is a story of how two key assemblies including collaborative art installations contribute to the harmony of the sacred space of the prayer hall of The Wimbledon Synagogue. It describes our process and explains how we communicate to clients, manufacturers and contractors with clear and unambiguous instructions, specifications and management, in order to achieve the result.
The new ark and doors were designed in collaboration with fellow architect Allan Schwarz, who runs the Mezimbite Forest Centre in Mozambique. The ark doors are the centrepiece and focus of the synagogue sanctuary and are based on the proportions of the original Ark of the Covenant as described in Exodus. The principles of the ark door design include sustainability, historical and biblical reference, systems of proportion, and Kabbalah mysticism. They are designed as a rectangle based on the ‘golden ratio’. The timber we are using for the doors is Acacia, extremely hard, dense and durable African wood and the same wood used for the original Ark of the Covenant.
Allan’s workshop at Mezimbite manufactured the doors using the sustainable principles he has established. No wood is wasted, and where there is a fault or crack in the timber, this is celebrated and repaired with marquetry and inlays of different local hardwoods.
The new stained glass panels were designed by Graham Jones, a world renowned stained glass artist and manufactured by Peters Glass Studio in Germany, incorporating several modern glass techniques. These include etching, staining and firing, screen printing, painting directly on the glass, and antique glass framed in traditional lead, fused to a toughened glass panel base. The frames were designed by Colin and made by Surrey Steels, a local steel fabricator, using stock steel angles.
The panels incorporate images of the 7 biblical fruits: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Olives, Dates, Pomegranate, and Figs.
