Stained glass windows have enhanced buildings since the Middle Ages and continue to captivate architects and design lovers today. Used traditionally—and even sometimes as ceilings—the works are constructed of colored glass pieces connected and outlined by strips of lead. It’s common to see this stunning details in religious buildings, such as cathedrals and mosques, although they also became popular for secular spaces beginning in the 19th century and now adorn private homes, hotels, cultural buildings, and department stores. From a Gothic chapel in Paris to a hotel in Mexico City, take a look at some of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the world and see how architects such as Philip Johnson, Oscar Niemeyer, and Antoni Gaudí have used the art form in some of their most iconic designs. [Source: AD]
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Photo: Courtesy of INUCE24/25
Luoyuan Anglican Church (Fuzhou City, China)
Designed by Switzerland-based architecture and development firm INUCE, the Luoyuan Anglican Church is inspired by the region’s terraced tea farms. In a quickly urbanizing area, the Anglican congregation hoped to create a new sanctuary for a growing population. Designed by lead architect Dirk U. Moench, the stained glass façade is made from 107,707 individual pieces of glass and covers 15,198 square feet of surface area (the largest in China). The deep blue color is meant to emulate the bottom of the ocean, where “daunting darkness is dispersed by an aura of divine light,” according to the project description.
Photo: Sergio Formoso/Getty Images25/25 -
Basilica of St. Nazaire and Celsus (Carcassonne, France)
The central stained glass window within the Basilica of Saints Nazaire and Celsus dates to 1280 and is among the oldest in the south of France. Like many religious stained glass windows, the ones in this minor basilica tell a story. In this case, it’s the life and death of Jesus presented in 16 scenes. [Source: AD]
