T4 were appointed by Architects Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners to create a Glass foundation window to be installed at Guys & St Thomas Cancer Centre. The exciting brief was to produce a large circular panel of glass that was to act as a foundation panel, similar to a traditional foundation stone to mark the completion & opening of the new cancer centre. Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners drew their inspiration for the panel from the original architects sketch, that was produced for the building by the lead architect on the project. it was then up to T4 to interpret this and come up with ideas as to how best to achieve this image in glass, whilst taking into account its location and safety without compromising the design.
T4 Design initially produced three different samples for Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners all incorporating various decorative glass process’s and combinations of colour and depth. At this stage T4 were able to confirm the specification of the glass. This was achieved by creating a custom glass laminate which gave four faces of glass that could be decorated. T4 continued to work with Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners to decide which part of the original image was to be re-produced onto which face of the glass for maximum effect. The final panel was a combination of two laminated panels of 19mm low iron glass. Deep carved sandblasting, surface sandblasting and various paint effects. The results are stunning and the completed panel was un-veiled by the world famous architect Sir Richard Rogers on site on the 14th of May 2014.
The glass required a substantial thickness to enable T4 to deep carve the image into the glass. Producing the panel in laminated glass provided two extra surfaces for decorating to add depth and extra colour to the design whilst still leaving some area’s clear for light transmission.
Sir Richard Rogers of Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners
