Over the years I have been delighted to make a number of pieces for Schools and places of Worship. Creating pieces for a place of worship requires a range of careful considerations.

St Luke’s Church

These Lecterns and Table were made for St Luke’s Church in Reigate from Oak pews that had been removed as part of a renovation and renewal project. They were commissioned as commemoration pieces for parishioners.

St Joseph’s College

St Joseph’s College in Reading were also looking to create some lecterns from oak pews from their Chapel renovation.

I wanted to design something that would be light both visually and physically, so that it would be easy to pick up and move to where it would be used.

The Liberal Jewish Synagogue

Cabinet for a Roundel

The Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London had built a new extension in 2012 — The John Rayner Room.

As the room was being designed, they asked me to design a recessed framed wall unit to go in it, to hold a glass roundel depicting Noah’s Ark by the distinguished glass engraver, Peter Dreiser. It was important that the lighting was designed to give a clear, even light. I enjoyed the technical difficulties involved in ensuring this worked well.

The use of carefully aligned led lights allowed both this and low heat output.

The Ark

Once the room was completed, I was also asked to design and made an ‘Ark’ for the John Rayner Room, in which to keep one of their Torah scrolls.  The design on the front is a variation on the shape of the Alef, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The alef is formed by two yuds, one to the upper right and the other to the lower left, joined by a diagonal vav. These represent the higher and lower waters and the firmament between them, as taught by the Ari z”l .

I wanted the glass to reflect a sense of the water so arranged for it to be handmade by Architectural glass maker, Claudia Phipps.

I also had to consider the impact of internal lighting on the fabric of the scroll as the intention was for the light to be on permanently. Again, led lights allow for this with minimum heat. The Ark was completed in 2014.