The chandelier of the Catholic Cathedral in Iași

The new cathedral in Iași is one of a kind: it looks like no other church in Romania. The building is circular, with 24 ogives and a dome shaped to suggest a crown — the symbol of Mary as Queen. In such a space the piece had to follow the geometry and the language of the building, so the chandelier has exactly 24 arms on its outer ring, one for each ogive, and a second ring of arms towards the centre. Seen from below, from the middle of the cathedral, it lies over the ribs of the dome like a rose window: its drawing continues the drawing of the vault.

Seen from the side, the silhouette is a crown as well: the arms descend from a slender apex, curve out and rise again, like an upturned dome. Between them hang curtains of glass rods, which catch the light of the bulbs.

In the glass drum at the base we set the monogram of Christ, the Greek letters X and P overlaid. Whoever looks up from the centre of the cathedral sees it inscribed in the luminous circle of the lantern, on the axis of the dome.

For over thirty years we have worked mostly in brass, but the material is chosen to suit the building as closely as possible. The cathedral in Iași is a modern construction, in concrete and mosaic, with white surfaces and stained glass on three levels, and the patinated gold of brass would have contradicted it, so we chose stainless steel. Polished stainless steel keeps pace with the architecture: cool, precise, luminous. Brass did not disappear, though: it is there in the rings that encircle each light and in the wires that tie the arms together, a warm line tracing the outline of the piece.

Glass was used as well, in three ways: in the sandblasted dishes under the bulbs, which soften the light, in the blue rods hanging in garlands between the arms, and in the drum of the central lantern. The blue is no accident, it is a homage to Mary, her colour, which also dominates the cathedral's stained glass, so the light of the chandelier and the light of the windows mingle naturally.

Stainless steel asks for no upkeep: it does not patinate, it does not blacken, and at the height where the piece hangs that matters for how it lasts over the years. See how we work in the workshop.

The “Our Lady, Queen” Cathedral is the episcopal cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iași, built between 1992 and 2005 on Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt boulevard, to the design of architect Gheorghe Hereș. The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1990, as soon as building a new church became possible again.

The circular building, with an outer diameter of 38 metres and a central dome of 24 metres rising to 36 metres at the cross, has the look of a crown, suggesting the programme of the whole church: Mary, Queen.

The interior is lit by 24 ogival windows in the dome and by stained glass on three levels. In the apse, above the altar, stands the monumental mosaic of the Virgin Mary, which is also visible in our installation photographs. The cathedral also has a classical organ brought from Germany, with 3,882 pipes.

The consecration took place on 1 November 2005, with 23 bishops, over 200 priests and more than 3,500 people. Our chandelier was in its place, lit, in the middle of the dome.