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Float Glass Design, a leading architectural glass studio based in Brighton, was one of the few British suppliers selected for the project. It was commissioned to create and install three huge, bespoke glass windows – one for each of the three main prayer halls. The windows were completed in stages over an 18-month
period. Each one measures 4.5m x 4.5m and has its own colour theme and message. It comprises 12 individual glass panels with the top five shaped to create an arch. The first window features rectangles and squares of aqua and
© James Pringle Biring created bold designs for two of the three stained glass
windows and invited local children to submit ideas for the other one. “We have a Sunday school where we teach Punjabi to the kids
and we had a little competition where we gave them elevations of the windows and invited them to come up with designs. The winner featured in the window for one of the halls. “Normally stained glass has leaded lights,” Biring goes on.
“This is the same stained glass that you would have in church, except that we’ve got no leaded joints – which is good because I wanted it to be different. “Float Glass Design overlapped pieces of glass on a bed of
sand, embossed with the pattern and fused together in a kiln – so lots of different pieces become a sheet. Once you’ve got the sheet, it’s just like normal glazing and you can put it into a frame. The windows were made into double-glazed units because I wanted to meet the current building regulations, using safety laminated glass.” The result provides striking splashes of colour and light
behind the main dais in the three prayer rooms. More details are in the panel on the right. Part of the building has been in use for two years.
sea blue overlaid and radiating from the central symbol of Ek Onkar: an emblem of the Sikh religion meaning ‘God is One’. The design for the second window originated from a
drawing competition among the Sunday school children. Float Glass Design was tasked with recreating the winning design for the window using coloured glass in amber yellow, ultramarine blue and lilac. Jane Johansson, the firm’s creative director, says: “The
design for this window focused on preserving the children’s design input by overlapping the glass to look like the strokes of a felt tip pen.” The final window of textured glass in vivid orange, amber
and aqua depicts the folds of a silk turban wrapped around the central emblem of Ek Onkar. Architect Teja Harbhajan Biring says: “We are really
pleased with how Float Glass Design has created these win- dows. They are truly impressive and a wonderful feature in the temple.” Float Glass Design continues to work with other places of
worship throughout the UK. It has recently completed another impressive project for the Hillel Foundation’s new building that is part of the Grade II listed synagogue in Middle Street, Brighton.
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