Colourful stained glass depicting Jesus Christ and six saints or angels praying, with vivid red, blue, pink, and green hues, architecture by Nick Cox Architects.

Group of people examining a large, illuminated stained glass artwork depicting religious figures, in a rustic workshop setting, architecture by Nick Cox Architects.

Stained glass depiction of a face with a halo, detailed patterns, and vibrant colours, with architecture by Nick Cox Architects.

Close-up of a historic stone building with stained glass windows, ornate details, and a balustrade, architecture by Nick Cox Architects.

A worker installing a stained-glass window depicting Jesus and angels, with scaffolding and protective coverings, architecture by Nick Cox Architects.

Stained glass window with abstract design, set in a stone building with decorative pillars and detailed architecture by Nick Cox Architects.

1/6

Birmingham Cathedral Divine Beauty

Conserving exceptional stained glass

A new lease of life for exceptional works of art

Places of worship Adaptive reuse

Birmingham’s extraordinary stained glass windows were designed by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. The windows achieve a luminous serenity, embodying the creative vision and virtuosic techniques of the Arts and Crafts movement at its height.

Despite their international significance, in 2021 surveys revealed the windows were in danger of death by a thousand cuts, due to the cumulative pressure of many small failure points.

A really key thing for us was Kathryn as project lead and architect – it brought such a lot of value having someone who knows the place and the team and what else was on the table… A lovely mixture of being brilliantly professional, fun and easy to work with.

Divine Beauty Development Phase Evaluation Report

Funding and Engagement

A grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported a new Conservation Management Plan, Management and Maintenance Plan and careful conservation of the windows. During the project scaffolding tours were offered, and a varied programme of engagement has brought these beautiful windows to the attention of a larger audience in Birmingham and beyond.