Hasta La Ideas

St Luke’s is a United Reform Church in Cambridge which now sports a rather beautiful glazed screen courtesy of Ely-based graphic design studio Maddison Graphic

Alfie Maddison, who runs the studio with his brother Edward, explains that the church is a Victorian building which has been subdivided into smaller spaces to accommodate multiple activities. Architects Bland Brown and Cole designed a glazed screen to replace a curtain which had been used to split up the space. “The church decided they would like etched glass effect vinyl to decorate the glass panels and we were suggested for the design on the basis that we had done a much smaller project involving vinyl on glass at Ely Cathedral,” Maddison explains.

Maddison incorporated motifs from the architecture of the church in their design, including two dragons in the centre of the screen that were copied from carving above the church’s doors. Elsewhere the screen features Christian symbols such as fish, doves and a bull (the symbol of St Luke). Animals, it was felt, would be also be appealing to the children who use the space for after school activities and Sunday school.

“The design’s individual elements and overall structure are derived from an Ad Quadratum grid; a system of proportion involving squares within squares that was implemented by medieval masons in the design of floor plans and elevations of cathedrals and churches,” Maddison explains.

Maddison has only been going from 2006, and Ely is hardly a teeming metropolis, but Maddison has a strong portfolio that also includes this identity for Guardian writer Zoe Williams

a geometric, vulpine logo for The Friends of the King’s School Ely (or FoKSE)

and a rather nice print on the theme of boats which is available to buy direct from them or from Present&Correct