Wrought-iron skylights
The different types of wrought iron and steel skylights
Industrial-style glass roof
An industrial-style interior glass roof is an interior design feature inspired by the industrial aesthetic, often associated with old factories, warehouses and industrial buildings converted into living or working spaces. Industrial-style interior skylights have become popular because of their ability to create a modern, open and bright look while retaining a certain raw, industrial character.
Industrial glass roofs generally use raw materials such as steel, wrought iron, aged metal and transparent or lightly tinted glass. These materials contribute to the industrial aesthetic.
The black steel structure is an emblematic element of industrial-style interior skylights. They can be used to divide spaces or as partitions to create distinct zones while maintaining a feeling of openness. Glass is often used to allow natural light to flow through the space while visually separating areas. Clear glass is common, but textured glass can add an extra touch of character.
Industrial glass roofs tend to have a minimalist, uncluttered design. The clean, simple lines enhance the raw materials and architecture of the space.
Industrial-style interior skylights can be used in a variety of ways, such as partitions to divide spaces or as sliding doors for closets, bathrooms or kitchens.
Traditional-style glass roof
A traditional-style glass roof is an architectural structure that draws on traditional and classic design elements to create a covered outdoor space. This style is often associated with a timeless, elegant aesthetic.
Traditional-style outdoor skylights are generally inspired by classical architecture, including Greek, Roman, Colonial or Victorian. They may feature columns, arches, moldings and classical architectural details.
Decorative details are an essential feature of the traditional style. This can include carvings, floral ornaments, scrolls, friezes and other decorative elements on columns, arches and upper parts of the canopy.
Traditional-style outdoor canopies can be used in a variety of applications, such as verandas, covered terraces, pergolas or garden entrances.
Artistic glass roof
An artistic glass roof is an architectural art form that integrates stained glass, glazed art or artistic elements into a glass or stained glass structure. These creations are often used to embellish and illuminate interior or exterior spaces, while offering an exceptional visual experience.
Artistic glazed panels showcase works of glass art created by Crézé craftsmen. These compositions can depict scenes, abstract motifs, religious symbols, landscapes or other artistic subjects.
Glass art is usually custom-designed to suit the specific space in which it will be installed. Customers often collaborate with expert craftsmen to design unique creations that meet their aesthetic needs.
Artistic glass roofs take full advantage of natural light to create effects of color and brilliance. Works of art often appear differently depending on the light and the time of day.
Artistic canopies can be designed in a contemporary or traditional style, depending on the customer’s preferences and artistic objective.
Our achievments
Glass roofs
Oratory – La Grande Bretèche Tours
New chapel made of steel and hand-blown glass, set in a 15th century chapel.
Crézé’s mission: creation and installation of an oratory, carried out in collaboration with the Ateliers du maître verrier Helmbold and the architectural firm Le Moal. The structural shape facilitates the penetration of light and the careful acoustics of the oratory. The specificity of this work allows the doors to be opened on the entire façade towards the nave when the public is present and to be closed again for a more intimate ceremony.
From a technical point of view, this oratory is made of Jansen joinery and is 6 meters high, 13 meters long and 5 meters wide.
Glass roofs
Glass wall restoration – Indret
Returning the ‘La Navale’ glass wall to its former splendour
This magnificent glass wall on the back wall of a castle on the south bank of the Loire was probably constructed by workers from neighbouring naval sites at the start of the 20th Century. The Crézé team worked here for several weeks, returning it to its former glory.
Glass roofs
Skylight in Paris
Zenithal glass roof for a prestigious building
A feature that creates a sea of light, giving off natural lighting within the company canteen. This zenithal skylight includes smoke extraction panes that also serve as railings for the upkeep of the suspended gardens above. This feature highlights a 20th-century structure that was entirely restored. This building, located near the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, is home to prestigious office space
Glass roofs
The Galeries Lafayette
Steel and glass skylight overlooks a shopping centre
The former steel skylight was hidden by a suspended duckboard ceiling.
We ensured its disassembly and removal, facing a few accessibility issues on the way. The new skylight was fitted with Jansen profiles – selected for their fineness – and now overlooks the new Galeries Lafayette centre.
The sky’s full colour palette brings a great deal of variety to the collections presented beneath the skylight.
Glass roofs
House in Saint-Briac
Elegant sunroom with large glass walls
Creation of a sunroom on the existing terrace, so the owners could benefit from it all year round and extend their home in a pleasant manner.
We therefore turned a reasonably-sized yet not very usable space into a separate living area. The glass walls are covered in a 4-pane zinc roof that allows rainwater to evacuate through the almost-invisible gutter, hidden away in the decor.
This extremely sober sunroom is adorned with diamond-shaped patterns at ground-level and higher up: this choice is both attractive and useful as the upper pattern also serves as a bracing.
Glass roofs
House in Rennes (1)
Creation of a sunroom with isolating glass panels
The former terrace, that was very hot due to its south-facing exposure, was turned into a sunroom.
The highly-insulating and high-performance glass panes enabled the owner to enjoy a temperate living area, even in the middle of summer.
We added electric shutters to protect them from the sun without blocking out the light completely.
The existing banister was painted the same colours as the sunroom structure, for improved harmony.
Glass roofs
House in Rennes (3)
Contemporary glass-walled room
A contemporary glass-walled room with sun-like decor, home to a bedroom in the middle of the garden, hence the presence of blackout blinds all the way around.
The relatively sober construction is adorned with some decoration at ground-level, and an access banister made of polished stainless steel is used to access the garden as soon as you get out of bed.
Glass roofs
Manor in the Morbihan
Create a new room with a skylight and glass walls
The skylight forming the gable end of this prestigious bourgeois dwelling offers an additional room, thanks to the glass’ high quality – the temperature remains the same even when the sun hits the front of the house.
The occupants’ intimacy is also preserved: vision from indoors to outdoors is perfect, but vision is obstructed the other way round.
A wood-burner was added to heat the room up during the cold winter months.
Glass roofs
Traditional house
Sunroom with patinated and decorative iron structure
The sunroom goes all along the front of a traditional house, half-way between a conservatory and patio, and makes for a comfortable and sunlit dining area in the rounded part of the structure.
The zinc roof leaves room for glass panes in front of each of the house’s openings, so the sunlight can still stream in. Several arches reinforce the structure and bring even more charm to the house.
The textured powder coating gives the structure a lovely patina effect.
Glass roofs
Rennes’ countryside
Restoration of a glazed greenhouse
This elegant 1920s greenhouse was entirely revamped.
It was more or less abandoned and had suffered a great amount of corrosion.
The glass panes were all removed so the structure could be cleaned, restored and repainted.
They were then replaced or repositioned one by one.
The guardrail that runs along the top of the greenhouse was initially used for installing the gratings; it may serve again one day but its appearance alone deserved a restoration.
Glass roofs
School in Saint-Malo
A glass roof above a schoolyard
This school in Saint-Malo created an indoor courtyard thanks to this glass roof – making the playground accessible at any time of the year and in all kinds of weather.
We inserted windows to the upper vertical part for ventilation in the event of high temperatures.
Glass roofs
Skylight in Saint-Briac
House extension with glass walls and roof
This house on the northern Breton coastline was enriched with a new and fully-glassed living area, with double glazing low-E thermal insulation.
Glass roofs
Carpentry in the town of Saint-Briac
When glass combines with stone
An extension of the presbytery, associating traditional stone with modern glass. A roof and two steel curtain walls were assembled, thus revealing a shading of colours along the structure’s glass panes.
Glass roofs
Carpentry in Rennes
Front door designed with hammered sheet metal pattern and glass
Creation of a front door, with a hammered sheet metal pattern fitted with opaque or see-through glass for a lighter and smoother touch.
Glass roofs
Indoor glass wall in Rennes
Workshop style glass wall between the kitchen and livingroom
A glass wall with an industrial touch, fitted with sliding doors. This glass structure offers the advantages of a kitchen that opens out onto the living area, whilst preventing the smells and noise from circulating between the rooms.
Glass roofs
Samsic head office in Cesson-Sévigné
Custom design layout with metallic structure
An original and large-scale creation for Samsic’s head office. The ornamental powder-coated metallic structure is decorated with opal laminated glass. The overall architecture was founded on the effect of a projected drop of water, offering visitors curved buildings – like waves emanating from a central axis. Water – as the symbol of Brittany – and greenery have pride of place here, namely thanks to the Asian-inspired gardens.
The “drop of water” building is surmounted with a glass dome. This roof aims to turn a constraint (hiding technical equipment, namely the air-conditioning and heating units) into an easily-recognisable architectural feat, visible from Rennes’ ring-road.
The entrance hall is bedecked with a steel and glass curtain wall to make movement easier within the building, with the help of banisters, footbridges and a lift. The glass floor reflects the architectural elements and reinforces the building’s depth.
At the very top of this hall, visitors can admire the monumental sculpture created by Annick Leroy – an artist from Rennes – which is a reproduction of the photography “Lunchtime atop a skyscraper” taken in 1932 during the construction of the Rockefeller Center in New York. The structure’s ceiling needed to be reinforced to support this work and welcome the seven characters on their girder, weighing a total of 1.3 tonnes.
Restoration of wrought-iron stained-glass windows: heritage preservation
Restoring wrought-iron skylights is an important part of preserving our architectural and artistic heritage. Wrought-iron skylights, often found in historic buildings, churches, museums and other ancient structures, represent a precious part of our history and culture.
When we take on a wrought-iron canopy restoration project, we begin with a thorough assessment of the condition of the wrought-iron canopy. The aim is to identify damage, corrosion, missing elements, cracks and any other structural or aesthetic problems.
It is essential that we take detailed photographs of the glass roof before restoration work begins. This will provide an important visual reference for the restoration.
If the canopy has to be removed for restoration, we take particular care to avoid further damage to the structure. Following this, we gently remove dirt, dust and contaminants from the surface using gentle cleaning methods, such as hand brushing and the use of non-abrasive chemicals.
In our workshop, we carefully repair any damage, cracks or missing parts using welding techniques adapted to wrought iron. Wrought iron is treated against corrosion using anti-rust chemicals and protective coatings, such as anti-rust paint. In addition, we preserve and restore original artistic details, such as decorative motifs, ornaments and carved elements, using appropriate restoration techniques.
Restoring wrought-iron canopies is a complex undertaking, requiring all our expertise in heritage conservation. It plays an essential role in preserving architectural and artistic history, enabling future generations to enjoy these cultural treasures.
Custom wrought-iron and steel skylights: an adaptable design
Custom wrought-iron and steel canopies offer design flexibility and can be adapted to a variety of architectural styles and interior or exterior spaces.
Made-to-measure canopies are designed according to the customer’s specific needs and preferences. This means you can choose the style, shape, patterns and dimensions that best suit your space. Wrought-iron and steel canopies can be used to divide or delimit interior spaces, creating distinct zones while maintaining a feeling of openness. They are also ideal for outdoor spaces, such as terraces or gardens.
These glass roofs are aesthetically versatile. You can opt for a sleek, modern design, an industrial style with a raw look, or a more traditional aesthetic with intricate decorative elements. Wrought-iron and steel canopies can be painted in a variety of colors to match the color scheme of your space. Finishes, such as patina for an aged look, can also be tailored to your preferences.
Custom wrought-iron and steel canopies offer a multitude of design possibilities, making them adaptable to a wide variety of spaces and aesthetic preferences. They can be used to create functional and aesthetic architectural elements that add a personalized touch to any environment.
