COLLEGIATE CHURCH
OF BUEIL-EN-TOURAINE

France

FOUR STUNNING
GLASS CHANDELIERS

The project

This set of four kiln formed glass chandeliers, intended for the St Peter Church in Bueil-en-Touraine, is characterized by the exceptional scale of its dimensions, the material used, and the ambition of its artistic program. The latter followed three main directions.

Contemporary aesthetics

Inspired by the particular movement of the wings of a series of glass angels previously created by Natacha Mondon at the Urban Glass Factory in New York, this original artwork is resolutely contemporary in its design.

Figuring four angel wings, the sculptural chandeliers seem to hover above the bays, while their light and airy metallic suspensions extend the curves of the arches of the vault's ribs.

In order not to compete visually with the contemporary stained-glass program, the elements have been made of translucent glass, which is more fitted to preserve their evocative power.

Theological fidelity

Although St. Peter's Church no longer hosts a religious service, this parish function being nowadays devolved to the adjacent Collegiate Church of St. Michael, the work aims to recall the spiritual dimension that governed its edification.

Inspired by the cosmology of St Thomas Aquinas and its poetic counterpart in Dante's Paradise of the Divine Comedy, the four glass wings, caught in a revolving movement, represent the choir of angels around the Heavenly Throne, here symbolized by the only source of light. Patterns based on eyes and the radiance of light energy are reminders of traditional iconography.

A functional aspect

Although the light provided by the chandeliers finds its justification in this celestial metaphor, they nevertheless serve a function of highlighting the interior of the building. Intended mainly for concerts and exhibitions, the luminous atmosphere is deliberately intimate and contemplative, in contrast to the brightness of the Collegiate Church of Saint Michael and its large Gothic bays.

Characteristics

Four chandeliers in kiln formed glass and patinated steel

Width : 1m30 / 4.30 ft

Height: 2m80 à 4m20 / 9.20 ft to 13.80 ft

This project was awarded the 2009 SEMA County Prize for Arts and Crafts (Seine-Saint-Denis)  and the 2009 SEMA State Prize for Arts and Crafts (Ile-de-France).