CHESTER CATHEDRAL WINDOW

This stunning new work called "The Creation Window" has been installed in the Refectory west window in Chester Cathedral. Clicking in the picture below reveals more detailed images of the individual panels.

Press release | Six Days: A new book about the window | Virtual tour of the cathedral

Press Release

After choral evensong in Chester Cathedral a procession to the Refectory where the choir sang Giovanni Gabrielli's setting of the JUBILATE. Six individuals read the words of the first six days of The Creation (Genesis Chapter 1). The final words, the seventh day were read by The Right Reverend Stephen Smalley, The Dean of Chester Cathedral before he dedicated the new, millennium window. And the sun shone, splashing colour across the walls.

THE NEW CREATION WINDOW CHESTER CATHEDRAL REFECTORY: Designed and made by ROSALIND GRIMSHAW FMGP and PATRICK COSTELOE CAMPG.

The window is twelve lights (divided into six lights upper tier and six light lower tier) and five traceries.

The smaller three traceries at the top are triangles of colour, the two larger traceries above the left and right hand lights represent angels.

The upper six lights range from 7' 6" x 2' to 11' 6" x 2'. The top tier of windows depict very literally the Six Days of Creation (Genesis Chapter 1).

Across the top of the upper lights is a plain glazing pattern with a shape of a dove glazed in prisms. These prisms are also used to depict the a hand of God reaching across the whole window representing God's Creation and Blessing.

The lower six lights are all 42" x 2'. The lower tier of windows depict contemporary elements of the Creation corresponding with the upper tier of lights.

For example....DAY 1 (Outer left hand light): CITYSCAPE AT NIGHT ON LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPH: Hundreds of pieces of glass; fused stars on clear glass, mosaic terrazzi for the skyscrapers. The whole window is 166.5 square feet. There is no painting in the window. It is all cut and glazed.

The seventh day is the whole window, framed with a border over arching the complete image and representing the firmament of the heavens.

There was, to coincide with the Dedication an exhibition of full size designs/ collages; cut lines, photos and Rosalind Grimshaw's drawn diary of the commission in the Transept of the Cathedral.

Here is a virtual tour of chester cathedral: www.chestercathedral.freeserve.co.uk/vtour