Paris LDS Temple Art Glass & Exterior Doors

Our designs for the windows and exterior doors of the Paris Temple were inspired by the flora of the French countryside and our window motifs reference the work of the incredible French glass artists of the past, including Jacques Gruber, Emile Galle, Desire Christian, Les Frères Daum, and Albert Dammouse, among others.

The progression of the flowers within the windows is a metaphor for a faith-filled experience – starting at the base of the windows there are only buds, representing potential. As the eye travels up the windows the buds begin to open and culminate in a full bloom at the top. The upward growth is a metaphor for moving toward the light, the ultimate goal of faith being to grow closest to God, and the full blossom represents the fulfillment of potential. The blossoms also gather together as they bloom, representative of the shared experience. The windows are designed to be seen together, across the multiple floor levels, from the exterior, which, as we intended, really come to life after sunset.

We chose specific flowers as a thematic basis for each window, and used others as a leitmotif. These include Lavender, the Martagon Lily, the Water Lily, the Cornflower, the Lilac, the Hollyhock, and the Madonna Lily. For example, the Cornflower represents blessedness, hope in love, and friendship, but we also chose it for the special significance it has in France, being a National Symbol of Remembrance and the eternal symbol of those who died for France in The Great War (WWI) and every year fabric versions are sold to fund the care of veterans. The hardware of the exterior doors features a lily "becoming" a fleur-de-lis, complete with lavender petals as a decorative motif.