ESG SwitchableTM Glass Finds Spiritual Home at St Dionis Church
When refurbishment and renovation experts Ion Glass were asked to bring about a transformation at St Dionis Church in Parsons Green, London, they had no hesitation in specifying our ESG Switchable™ glass to help repurpose and reconfigure several areas of the historic Anglican church building.
Having worked with our team several times before on major projects, Ion Glass knew immediately that switchable privacy glass would allow them to rezone and repurpose several areas of the church building. ESG Switchable™ glass was therefore used to create a new multi-use space for the church and community, separating the main hall, which is used for weddings and functions as well as general worship, from a new distinct multi-purpose area for meetings, quiet contemplation, and even for bridal parties to assemble before making a grand entrance.
The church’s graceful gothic arches, while beautiful, presented an unusual challenge, as both the glass and the switchable LCD privacy interlayer needed to be cut to their exact shapes with pinpoint precision, using advanced CNC techniques, to ensure both a perfect fit and optimal functionality for operation in situ. Working with Ion Glass, we designed each panel with connections located to ensure the most discreet possible wiring route in this historic setting, including unobtrusive push buttons to switch the glass on and off.
The results of this transformation are stunning. The main hall has been discreetly separated from the new smaller multi-purpose space, while privacy glazing was also used to shield the church hall from the public gaze, so that meetings and functions can take place in privacy.
We greatly enjoy working in collaboration with the experts at Ion Glass, who have an exemplary reputation for providing bespoke structural glass solutions for a range of distinctive buildings, including churches, bringing them into the present and equipping them to meet the demands of the future.
This was a truly satisfying project as we were able to collaborate throughout, understanding the challenges and working with our client to devise the most appropriate solution. It is always worth tapping into our team’s amassed experience and expertise before specifying for unusual projects – we can often come up with unexpected solutions that solve more than one challenge!
