Black walnut clergy seating in Westminster Abbey
22/05/2013
Luke Hughes & Company was commissioned by the Dean & Chapter of Westminster Abbey to design and make clergy seating and sacrarium stalls to be used over the Cosmati Pavement. One of the most important medieval floors in Europe laid down in 1268 by order of Henry III, it incorporates symbolic patterns and innumerable semi-precious stones. For this particularly special furniture, Luke and his team turned to a particularly special sustainable hardwood, American black walnut.
Choosing American black walnut instead of oak, the conventional timber for ecclesiastical seating, and a simple streamlined design in keeping with the Abbey’s monastic traditions meant that the furniture is 60 percent lighter than the original seating. Black walnut also offers a sumptuous colour and elegant grain. Luke Hughes & Company devised an unusual solution to accommodate the irregularity of the floor surface.
Photo: ©AHEC, Luke Hughes & Co Ltd.
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