About the Building

North and South Windows

Douglas Hogg describes the new windows at St Philip’s (2001):

The North Window

Taking ‘Journey’ as a thematic guide, it parallels the Journey of Life with that of the relationship between mariner and pole star. The path towards the star and its heavenly accompaniment in the upper ‘Omega’ sections is lit by a warm shaft of light, seen as being both guiding and protective. On either side a cold, restless environment in which bird/fish forms drift darkly. In this general upward movement, I have taken the four elements of earth, air, fire and water as echoing not only our own environmental constituents of creation, but also the more poetically relevant process of the Creation as laid out in the Book of Genesis. A reference to fire and recreation is made by way of the Phoenix riding the flames, visible in the lower sections of the window.

The South WIndow

This window is conceived on the theme of celebration, Harvest and community. The richness of our heavenly community, the passing of the seasons, in particular the importance of Harvest, are all contained in a joyous implementation of colour and light. A circle is scribed through the upper sections of the window, this being the Monogram of God and a universal symbol of friendship, here also representing the sun. A triangle, standing firm for the Trinity and below a square, a sign for the earth, earthly existence and community complete the three geometric symbols sitting centrally with the whole, starkly contrasting with, perhaps even moderating, the essential character of the window.

View more images of the windows in the
Gallery