In collaboration with Tolegen Batantayev, we were commissioned to replace the original floor tiles in Almaty’s Russian Orthodox cathedral. The building, completed in 1907 and 56 metres tall, is one of the tallest wooden structures in the world, which despite being built without a single nail, has survived several earthquakes. The tiles, by Villeroy & Boch, had suffered extensive damage over the years, but we felt there was virtue in retaining them rather than putting down a full replacement. We persuaded the church to incorporate the best examples into the new floor design – a matrix of polished granite slabs – to provide some continuity with the building’s past.