Mortonhall Crematorium

Mortonhall Crematorium was designed by Sir Basil Spence in 1967 and is Category A Listed. In the Expressionist style, it features angular structures with maximum use of natural light and uplifting colour through its stained glass windows.

Hardies were appointed to provide full design, contract administration and Principal Designer services through our Framework agreement with The City of Edinburgh Council. The works scope comprised external fabric repairs and internal fabric upgrade including building services installations. Repairs to the feature zinc roofs were undertaken along with the stained glass windows where there was a requirement for hand blown pot metal coloured sheet glass to match the original specification for both quality and tonal depth, set within the original Crittal frames.

A specialist glazing studio assisted with sourcing the glass from a supplier who had previously provided replacement glazing for Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room that is now located at the V&A Dundee. The glazing offered the closest match to the original in terms of tone and light transmission and replaced cracked panes and those replaced previously with clear glass or machined coloured glass that failed to complement the original intention of Spence’s scheme. By the careful use of traditional materials and techniques, the splendour of the full height stained glass strips has been restored.