The sanctuary is the one place people look at for an hour
At every Mass the eyes of the congregation return to the same place. That is why a mosaic in the sanctuary changes the feel of the whole interior more than any other commission – and why we design it not as a picture on a wall but as the background to the liturgy: taking in the height of the altar, the position of the tabernacle and the cross, and the lighting the church already has.
What we make in a sanctuary
The wall behind the altar and the apse – from a full figural composition to a plain gold smalti ground. The retable and the tabernacle surround. The antependium, the front of the altar table. The ambo and the font. Vaults and the chancel arch. We take on a whole sanctuary or a single element: many parishes begin with an antependium or a tabernacle surround and come back to a larger commission later.
Gold ground and the light of a church
A gold smalti ground is not decoration but a technical solution: gold reflects light at varying angles, so the mosaic lives with the changing daylight and with candles, and stays readable in low light. It is the principle used in the basilicas of Ravenna. We set the tesserae at a slight angle so the reflection is never flat.
Installation in a working church
We make the mosaic in the workshop in sections, numbered to an installation plan – visible in one of the photographs here, where numbers have been marked on the finished composition. That keeps the work on site short and predictable, and the parish does not have to close the church. We mount on a rigid backing, without disturbing the structure of the wall.
Price and how a commission runs
A mosaic costs from 4,000 to 15,000 PLN per m². The price depends on the complexity, the number of faces and figures in the composition and the materials used. A commission has five stages: a visit and measurement, a design agreed with the parish, hand-made execution in the workshop with photographs as the work progresses, transport, and installation. The estimate is free; a design and a visualisation are available on request, as a paid additional service.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a sanctuary mosaic cost?
A mosaic costs from 4,000 to 15,000 PLN per m². The price depends on the area, the complexity, the number of faces and figures, and the materials. We prepare an estimate free of charge once we have the wall dimensions and photographs of the sanctuary.
Can the work be done in a church that stays open?
Yes. The mosaic is prepared in the workshop in sections, so work on site is short. We agree the schedule with the parish so that it does not clash with services.
How long does the installation itself take?
It depends on the area and on access to the wall. We give a date with the estimate, after seeing the site, together with any preparatory work that may be needed.
Will the mosaic suit the existing furnishings?
Yes. We match the composition, the palette and the amount of gilding to what is already there – the altar, the windows, the wall paintings. We work both in a Byzantine idiom and in one closer to painting.
Do you make single elements rather than a whole sanctuary?
Yes. An antependium, a tabernacle surround, an ambo, or just the ground behind the cross. Many parishes start with one element and extend the work in later years.
What about a listed church?
Such a commission has to be agreed with the heritage authority. We prepare the design documentation and the cost estimate needed for the application, and at the same time help check whether a conservation grant is available.