Engineering Light

Building a stained glass window took a team of theologians, designers, and specialized craftsmen working together. The lead cames — H-shaped strips that grip each piece of glass — had to be both strong and unobtrusive, holding the design together without distracting the eye. It was engineering disguised as art, carrying stories from Genesis to Revelation across a single wall of glass.

Once the colored glass was made, the window was built by hand. A craftsman cut each shape against a full-size drawing, painted in the details, and fired the pieces in a kiln. Only then were they fitted into the lead cames and soldered at every joint. Finally, putty was forced under the lead to seal the panel and make it weatherproof — turning hundreds of fragile fragments into one rigid, watertight sheet.