Chapel Ceiling, Transom & Sidelights, Doors St. Michael Health Care Center Texarkana, Texas Architecture and Interior Design: Watkins Carter Hamilton, Houston Ceiling: 20.0' x 22.0' (6.1 x 6.7 m) Transom & Sidelights: 10.0' x 7.25' (3.0 x 2.2 m) Tabernacle and Chapel Doors: three @ 2.1' x 7.75' each (0.64 x 2.4 m With its start as a reaction to backlit stained glass, Windowless Stained Glass came almost full-circle in its use in the ceiling of this chapel. I almost declined the invitation to submit a proposal for this backlit ceiling, when it occurred to me that by selectively etching the silvered side of mirror, light could be projected down through the mirror and stained glass from above.
In areas where the mirror was left unetched, light from below would continue to reflect through the stained glass creating depth and ""windowness"". The etched areas allow brighter illumination to come through the ceiling and are concentrated over the altar table in front.
The stained glass panels that comprise this ceiling are installed into a 2' x 2' (0.6 x 0.6 m) suspended grid system. Each stained glass panel is fitted with a spacer-frame that elevates its etched mirror companion above it one inch. The etched mirror design is complementary, but very different from the stained glass design. I brought in an independent lighting consultant to design the two separately switched and rheostatically controlled fluorescent light arrays above.