Photos at the top and bottom of this post by Elizabeth Gill Lui.
When a client of nearly 70 years calls and asks you to accelerate a project, you get to work.
Judson Studios is completing the final phase of the stained glass restoration at the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, one of the most recognizable examples of modernist religious architecture in the United States. Originally fabricated by Judson Studios in 1958, the chapel’s monumental dalle de verre stained-glass windows are now being carefully restored and reinstalled as part of a major federal renovation project.
A Chapel Built to Awe
Completed between 1960 and 1962, the Cadet Chapel was designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Its seventeen aluminum spires rise 150 feet skyward — evoking both jet fighter wings and the soaring verticality of Gothic cathedrals. It is Colorado's most-visited building and a National Historic Landmark.
The chapel has leaked nearly since the day it opened, which ultimately drove the federal government to undertake a comprehensive structural renovation — creating the opportunity for us to restore the original stained glass.
The Glass Itself: Dalle de Verre at Monumental Scale
My grandfather, Horace Judson, worked directly with architect Walter Netsch, who personally selected the colors for the Protestant Chapel's faceted glass panels. Blenko Glass of Milton, West Virginia, fabricated over 24,000 custom pieces for the project — each roughly one inch thick, with a quarter-inch lip to fit the aluminum framing system.
Before installation, nearly every piece was hand-faceted: a craftsman strikes the glass edge with a specialized hammer, creating fractured facets that refract light like a cut gemstone. The effect is unlike anything achievable with traditional leaded stained glass.
- 5,760 sq ft of stained glass
- 24,384 individual pieces of dalle de verre
- 64 windows across 192 sections
- 2,240 aluminum frames
- 82,408 lbs of combined glass and framing
- 32 different-shaped molds and 25 distinct Blenko colors
The Restoration Process
Accelerated by the White House
Three Generations, One Legacy
From my grandfather's collaboration with Walter Netsch in the 1950s to the installation work underway today, this project represents everything we at Judson Studios, now run by the fifth generation, stand for: preserving irreplaceable American art, honoring the original craftsmen, and passing that responsibility carefully from one generation to the next.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions about this blog
Dalle de verre (French for "slab of glass") is a type of stained glass made from thick, faceted glass pieces set into frames rather than traditional lead came. Each piece is typically around one inch thick and is hand-faceted with a hammer to create brilliant, jewel-like light refraction. It became popular in mid-century modernist religious architecture.
Judson Studios was selected in 1958 to fabricate and install the stained glass for the Protestant level of the chapel. Horace Judson worked closely with architect Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who personally chose the colors. The glass itself was custom-made by Blenko Glass in Milton, West Virginia.
The chapel has experienced persistent water leakage since its completion in 1962. The federal government undertook a comprehensive structural renovation to address these longstanding issues, which created the opportunity to restore the original stained glass panels at the same time.
During panel removal, asbestos was discovered in the building. All work immediately halted. Licensed abatement professionals removed and bagged every panel under strict containment protocols. At Judson Studios' Los Angeles facility, a dedicated containment workspace was constructed, and staff worked in full protective gear to safely clean each panel.
Nearly all of the original glass survived in excellent condition after more than sixty years. Cracked pieces were reglued. In one case where a panel had shattered into multiple fragments, rather than replacing the glass, Judson Studios built a custom mold and fused the broken pieces back into their original form in a kiln — preserving as much historic material as possible.
The installation spans 5,760 square feet across 64 windows and 192 sections, comprising 24,384 individual glass pieces in 25 different Blenko colors — weighing a combined 82,408 pounds with frames.