Home
Talks
Concordia: Sir Brian Clarke's Stunning Landmark Installation
Concordia: Sir Brian Clarke's Stunning Landmark Installation
Discover Concordia (2025), a landmark instillation by the world's leading stained glass artist, Sir Brian Clarke, at Bahrain International Airport. Spanning 34 metres in width and 17 metres in height, it is one of the largest stained glass installations in the world.
From concept to completion, discover how intricate craftsmanship, bold design and centuries-old techniques come together in a one-of-a-kind public art installation. Concordia marks the culmination of Clarke’s decades-long practice, incorporating in its design some of the artist’s most celebrated motifs – including poppies, daffodils and oak leaves – while also referencing his long-established interest in Islamic ornamentation: ‘Everything I have ever learned about stained glass is in some way expressed in this.
Concordia integrates multiple cultural influences into its design, creating a harmonious fusion of styles that reflect Bahrain’s role as a meeting point between East and West. The piece blends the mathematical precision of traditional Islamic geometric patterns, inspired by Clarke’s visits to Morocco, with natural elements symbolic of Bahrain’s landscape, such as jasmine flowers, dragonflies, and hawks. Additionally, the work draws from Western artistic traditions, referencing medieval European tapestries and illuminated manuscripts from the Book of Hours.
Time Period:
21st century
Brian Clarke, painter and architectural artist, was born in Oldham, Lancashire, in 1953, and is the most celebrated stained glass artist in the world today.
A lifelong exponent of the integration of art and architecture, Clarke's commitment to total art has developed into a Renaissance engagement with multiple media -- from painting, sculpture, ceramics, mosaic, tapestry, jewellery and furniture, to sets for opera, the ballet, and stadia. Practising in secular and sacred spaces, his architectural collaborations include work with Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, Arata Isozaki, Oscar Niemeyer, I. M. Pei, Future Systems and other leading figures of Modern and contemporary architecture, creating stained glass designs and art installations for hundreds of projects worldwide.
His practice in architectural and autonomous stained glass, often on a monumental scale, has led to successive innovation and invention in the fabrication of the medium and, through the production of leadless stained glass and the creation of sculptural stained glass works made primarily or wholly of lead, he has radically stretched the boundaries of what the medium can do and express.
Major works include the Pyramid of Peace, Kazakhstan; Victoria Quarter Leeds, the largest stained glass roof in Europe; the Hôtel du département des Bouches-du-Rhône (Le Grand Bleu), Marseilles; the Royal Mosque of King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh; the 13th century Cistercian Abbaye de la Fille-Dieu, Romont; Buxton Thermal Baths' Cavendish Arcade; the Al Faisaliyah Center, Riyadh; Pfizer World Headquarters, Manhattan; Beaverbrook Coach House and Spa at Cherkeley Court; the Stamford Cone, Connecticut; and NorteShopping, Rio de Janeiro. Stage sets and designs for theatre include designs for two productions of Wayne Eagling's Rudolf Nureyev-tribute 'The Ruins of Time', with the Dutch National Ballet; Paul McCartney's World Tour (1989-90) and The New World Tour (1993); and a production of the Robert Ward opera 'The Crucible', directed by Hugh Hudson.
Clarke is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects; Fellow, Trustee, and Council member of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust; former Visiting Professor of Architectural Art at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London; former trustee and Chairman of the Architecture Foundation; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass; Hon. Doctor of Law, University of Huddersfield; Doctor of Humane Letters, Virginia Theological Seminary; former member of the Design Review Committee for the Commission of Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE); Governor of the Capital City Academy Trust; Sole Executor and Chairman of the Estate of Francis Bacon; Trustee and Chairman of the Zaha Hadid Foundation.
Watch more
Watch more
14:06
The Great East Window: Brian Clarke
A history and personal reflection of the stained glass Great East Window of York Minster.
03:57
Sir Brian Clarke's Concordia at Bahrain International Airport
Discover ‘Concordia’, a landmark installation by Sir Brian Clarke, newly unveiled at Bahrain International Airport. Standing at an impressive 17 metres high and 34 metres wide (578 sqm), Concordia is one of the largest stained-glass artworks in the world, offering an awe-inspiring visual impact. 'Concordia' integrates multiple cultural influences into its design, creating a harmonious fusion of styles that reflect Bahrain’s role as a meeting point between East and West. The piece blends the mathematical precision of traditional Islamic geometric patterns, inspired by Clarke’s visits to Morocco, with natural elements symbolic of Bahrain’s landscape, such as jasmine flowers, dragonflies, and hawks. Additionally, the work draws from Western artistic traditions, referencing medieval European tapestries and illuminated manuscripts from the “Books of Hours.” Watch now to explore this extraordinary stained-glass installation and discover the symbolism that lies at the heart of ‘Concordia’. One of the most celebrated stained-glass artists working today, Sir Brian Clarke has redefined the possibilities of glass in architecture with landmark works across the globe—from the Al Faisaliah Center in Riyadh to Barcelona's historic Exchange Building, and the stunning Stamford Cone in Connecticut.
14:48
Penny Woolcock: Parallel Worlds
How can the arts help repair rifts in the community? Penny Woolcock speaks of her art of filmmaking that contributes towards real social change.
14:06
The Great East Window: Brian Clarke
A history and personal reflection of the stained glass Great East Window of York Minster.
03:57
Sir Brian Clarke's Concordia at Bahrain International Airport
Discover ‘Concordia’, a landmark installation by Sir Brian Clarke, newly unveiled at Bahrain International Airport. Standing at an impressive 17 metres high and 34 metres wide (578 sqm), Concordia is one of the largest stained-glass artworks in the world, offering an awe-inspiring visual impact. 'Concordia' integrates multiple cultural influences into its design, creating a harmonious fusion of styles that reflect Bahrain’s role as a meeting point between East and West. The piece blends the mathematical precision of traditional Islamic geometric patterns, inspired by Clarke’s visits to Morocco, with natural elements symbolic of Bahrain’s landscape, such as jasmine flowers, dragonflies, and hawks. Additionally, the work draws from Western artistic traditions, referencing medieval European tapestries and illuminated manuscripts from the “Books of Hours.” Watch now to explore this extraordinary stained-glass installation and discover the symbolism that lies at the heart of ‘Concordia’. One of the most celebrated stained-glass artists working today, Sir Brian Clarke has redefined the possibilities of glass in architecture with landmark works across the globe—from the Al Faisaliah Center in Riyadh to Barcelona's historic Exchange Building, and the stunning Stamford Cone in Connecticut.
14:48
Penny Woolcock: Parallel Worlds
How can the arts help repair rifts in the community? Penny Woolcock speaks of her art of filmmaking that contributes towards real social change.
6:07
Lina Ghotmeh Reveals Her Inspiration Behind The 2023 Serpentine Pavilion
Architect Lina Ghotmeh discusses, shares, and reveals the inspiration, the structure, and design of the 22nd Serpentine Pavilion.
7:58
California: Designing Freedom
Deyan Sudjic explores how the spirit of freedom in 1960s California inspired a generation of designers.
15:03
Metamorphosis of Narcissus: When Salvador Dalí met Sigmund Freud
Dawn Adès tells the story of the historic meeting between Salvador Dalí and Sigmund Freud, and unpacks the mind-boggling painting the artist took with him.