Keystone May 2025 Keystone Academy in Beijing, which has now become one of the major bilingual international schools in China, celebrated its 11th anniversary in May, and saw the graduation of the Class of 2025 (see Keystone graduation 2025) Luke Hughes Designs Ltd is delighted and proud to have been intricately involved with all the spaces that articulate the essence and values of the founders' vision, in particular Keystone's Lecture theatres, dining hall and the High School Library. In their publication ‘Local Culture in a World School – the Chinese Thread at Keystone Academy’ the authors Dr Sally Booth and[...]

April 2025 Durham Cathedral - Royal thrones for the Maundy Service Luke Hughes Designs was recently commissioned by Durham Cathedral to design and make two new ‘thrones’ and prayer desks in time for the King's visit to distribute the Maundy money on 17 April 2025 - and to serve in future as the official seats for the Lord Lieutenant (as the King's representative). The cathedral had nothing of suitable dignity or stature for such a historic occasion.Durham Cathedral was built as a projection of power following the Norman take-over of England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. With its[...]

Colorado Rocky Mountain School February 2025 The delivery of 200 new LH42 chairs and stools and 31 Athena tables to the ‘Bar Fork’ dining hall at Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS), in Carbondale (CO), USA went ahead as planned. This remarkable outward-bound educational establishment, under the shadow of Mt Sopris (3952m), offers a rich, broad education with a rare emphasis on both mountain sports and hands-on skills in the Arts and Crafts. The newly fitted ‘Bar Fork’ dining hall has been greatly increased in size and prominence under the design direction of Olivia Emery of A4 Architects LLC, who wrote:[...]

Ray Leigh MBE March 2025 Ray Leigh, founding chairman of Luke Hughes & Company from 1990 to 1994, died on 19 March, aged 96.Architect, artist, designer, manufacturer, co-ordinator of the disparate threads of the UK design world, and latterly founder of the Gordon Russell Museum - Ray was a deeply influential figure in the UK’s furniture industry. He was also among the last of the group of designers involved with the 1951 Festival of Britain and a key figure linking the British Arts & Crafts Movement to post-war modernist design.Ray Leigh was born in Streatham on 6 June 1928 and[...]

Mies van de Rohe may be credited with the remark 'God is in the details'. In this year, the 1700 anniversary of the Council of Nicaea which was convened in 325CE, addressed the theological nature of the relationship between God and Jesus. Against the teaching of Arius, who maintained Jesus was a creation of God, the Council of Nicaea declared that God and Christ were of ‘one substance’ and therefore equal. Perhaps Mies van de Rohe might thus maintain the 'Holy Trinity is in the details', now exquisitely carved by Georgy Mkrtichian, for our new gilt and walnut crucifix for[...]

St Luke’s, Darien (CT) – the chapel of the Primary School Continuing the theme (of creating furniture with relevance to modern liturgy and response to the architecture of the space), December saw the installation of a new altar, lectern, clergy seating and prayer desks and a set of stacking pews for the children’s chapel at St Luke’s, Darien in Connecticut, USA. The chapel is used as children’s worship space, and the furniture now includes some stacking benches for the younger members of the congregation, all of which can be re-arranged for different types of service. Working closely with the Rector,[...]