The gala opening of the newly refurbished Prince of Wales Theatre was performed by HRH The Prince of Wales on June 10 2004. To commemorate the occasion, His Royal Highness unveiled an original piece of art glass that had been designed and created by Goddard & Gibbs Studios within a strict five-week timeframe.

Goddard & Gibbs were first approached by project architects The Arts Team at the end of 2003, armed only with the original 1937 architectural drawing of the theatre and the desire for a glass sculpture. In close collaboration with The Arts Team, Harry Cardross, Annie Ross and Ian Byrne designed and created their piece utilising a glass cylinder and two etched and sandblasted glass panels, capturing the perspective and style of the building as it originally appeared.

Goddard & Gibbs artist, Annie Ross, recalls: ‘It was very much a team effort, we all had significant roles to play. The final piece has a drama, which is what we were really hoping for. The lighting works particularly well and we got a great deal of very positive feedback at the event.’

Forming the centrepiece of the foyer in Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s popular West End venue, the final installation evokes a sense of 1930s style while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original artwork. Lit subtly from beneath in pale yellow and mid blue, the fine detail of the decoration to the glass is exposed.

This visually arresting piece remains on permanent display in the foyer of the Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, London.

Source

Glass Age