Stained glass : an investigation into the design potentials of an architectural material

Abstract

Colored glass is a building material usually associated with churches or days of bygone glory. Yet the material would apparently have much to offer in window openings, curtain walls, even as structural block in the creating of contemporary spatial environments. The thesis examines two periods in architectural history -- the American Renaissance when the widespread popularity of stained glass was at its peak and the subsequent Modernist period when the use of stained glass was strongly questioned even in the bastions of ecclesiastical architecture. The context of architectural philosophy is studied to elucidate the qualities of the material as a design medium. Two case studies from the 1880s, Trinity Church and the Yerxa-Field residence, are analyzed. A short sketch problem attempts to illustrate the findings by transforming a modern structure with the addition of stained glass.