Mark Wellen, FAIA: Rhotenberry Wellen Architects, Midland, Texas
Ralph Sites, Contractor Par Excellence: Sites Construction, Midland, Texas
Pokes Peak Windows
11.3' w by 5.5' h overall including both side windows
The Poke’s Peak Windows were inspired by the dazzling, wide-open spaces of west Texas, a historic family ranch and its dominant geologic feature. Besides adding color and detail to their “in-town” residence, these windows are reminders of their beloved “home-away-from-home” often missed while in the “Big City”. The stained glass surrounds a west-facing meditation nook. As construction nears completion, these photos are a first peek at the stained glass.
About 200 miles away, the ranch headquarters sits at the base of Poke’s Peak and remains hidden until you’re almost there. Its welcoming doorway can be seen in the stained glass below the peak. The red “road” that unwinds up to the house also recalls the volcanism that created the area’s geology*. Fanciful imagery in the glass landscape and sky will hopefully inspire new “discoveries” with each visit as the mouthblown glass transforms with the passing of hours and the progression of seasons.
* Poke’s Peak formed as a volcanic intrusion that never reached the earth’s surface. Millions of years ago, what is now the highest point of Poke’s Peak sat beneath layers of sedimentary and metamorphic rock, which, after years of exposure to wind and rain, eroded away to expose the harder and more stable igneous rock of the peak.
Materials: European mouthblown glass, Austrian lead-crystal prisms, lead, and solder, installed under protective glass.