St Mary's, Bourne Street, London

Built in 1999, the purpose of the Columbarium at St Mary's is to provide the church's loyal members with a final resting place (there being no graveyard). The ashes of the deceased are housed in each of 70 dedicated mahogany chambers which are inscribed with the respective names and dedications.

Omar Ramsden's Reliquary of the True Cross is on permanent display behind engraved glass in the central wall of the Columbarium and a tympana, above the cornice, represent three resurrections. All elements combine to provide a magnificent place for relatives and friends of the deceased to pay their respects to them in an area specifically dedicated to enhance his or her understanding of the Christian belief in life after death. Light is synonymous with life and fibre optics were used internally to illustrate the relic cross itself - no access being necessary for their maintenance - and to edge-light the protective glass, making the etched message glow richly. Further lightheads are mounted on the cornice around the Columbarium niche to illuminate the opulently coloured tympana above, emphasizing the sense of radiating light. A combination of bare-tipped polished glass fibre and focusing optical lenses mounted on articulate bracketry were used in a range of configurations to deliver general diffused illumination as well as to accent lighting onto the cross detail.