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Stunning Contemporary Stained Glass Window by Kiki Smith and Deborah Gans

One of New York City’s most beautiful (but perhaps lesser known) gems is the remarkable contemporary stained glass window that artist Kiki Smith and architect Deborah Gens created for the Eldridge Street Synagogue, now known as the Museum at Eldridge Street.

This piece was part of a 24 year restoration of the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, a New York City and National Historic Landmark. In the main hall, an empty circle from a previous stained glass window hung open, but no record of the original window existed. “The Museum was faced with a classic preservation dilemma,” notes the website. “In a historic site, how do you treat an important architectural feature that has changed?”

Ultimately, Smith and Gens sought to honor the history of the space while infusing it with new energy. Their window, completed in 2010, features a Star of David surrounded by a blue sea full of yellow and black five-pointed stars. It is comprised of more than 1200 glass pieces. The Museum observes, “It is about rupture and regeneration, themes that are particularly meaningful in this restored sacred site, one with a history of decline and renewal.”

The Gil Studio, which fabricated and installed the work with help from Femenella & Associates, Inc., elaborates on the process:

Because of the large individual panels required by the Smith/Gans design, each of the six main panels is about 30 square feet, the traditional stained glass technique used in the origin windows was not an option. Additionally the design called for 2 dissimilar layers of antique glass, so The Gil Studio proposed a lamination technique utilizing a 2 part optically clear silicone in which the 2 layers of art glass are laminated to a base layer of 3/8” thick clear laminated glass. This technique allowed the creation of the window without lead cames between each piece of glass. As Deborah Gans said, “Instead of lines of dark, there are lines of light.”

Check out Jenny Carchman’s short film about the installation process here.