This small understated altar has been sensitively designed for quiet reflection by individuals and small groups, away from the main nave of the church. The challenge The team at Wakefield were looking for a less formal altar than the one we designed some years ago for their main nave. The purpose of this particular piece of ecclesiastical furniture is to provide a focus […]
This small understated altar has been sensitively designed for quiet reflection by individuals and small groups, away from the main nave of the church.
The challenge
The team at Wakefield were looking for a less formal altar than the one we designed some years ago for their main nave. The purpose of this particular piece of ecclesiastical furniture is to provide a focus for small group services and prayer. The altar is intended for daily use and still needed to complement the style and surroundings of the cathedral whilst also being far simpler and humbler in appearance.
Our design
We worked closely with the Wakefield Cathedral team to design a contemporary piece of furniture in solid oak. We purposefully designed it with simple, elegant lines and without any elaborate features or markings.
The altar may look simple but it involves complex geometry and jointing into the table surface. A lovely feature is the carved cross relief, which uses a design developed with the Dean at the time, Jonathan Greener
What we love about it
This is such a delightful piece to look at. The small altar is set in a peaceful corner of the Cathedral and is the perfect place for prayer and quiet contemplation. It was so well liked by the cathedral community that they commissioned a credence table to go with it.
We have been fortunate enough to have been commissioned to make a number of pieces for Wakefield Cathedral since our initial altar and ambo project. This small altar has become a much loved and favourite of ours amongst our work for this worshipping community.
Read more about our other work for Wakefield Cathedral: