The shortlists for the 2018 Church Architecture Awards have been announced.
Winning entries will be revealed at an awards ceremony to be held at St Mellitus College, London SW5 on Thursday, 1 November 2018. The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO ARIBA will announce the 2018 winners of the Presidents’ Award for new church architecture. Prince Nicholas von Preussen will announce the 2018 winner of the King of Prussia Gold Medal for repair and conservation architecture.
2018 PRESIDENTS’ AWARD SHORTLIST
Six projects have been shortlisted for the 2018 Presidents’ Award for new church buildings and re-orderings, extensions or alterations to existing church buildings.
They include a new chapel on the Ardnamurchan Estate in the Highlands of Scotland built in Romanesque style with Celtic key patterns; the renovation and extension of Ealing Green church in Ealing, London, a response to the West London riots of 2011 and a new extension for St Michael & All Angels church in Summertown, Oxford, a space that mediates between the secular and the sacred.
The Presidents’ Award is awarded on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association President and the National Churches Trust’s Joint Presidents, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
2018 KING OF PRUSSIA GOLD MEDAL SHORTLIST
Six projects have been shortlisted for the 2018 King of Prussia Gold Medal for church repair and conservation architecture.
They include spire repairs to the church of St Jude, Kensington, London (now occupied by St Mellitus Theological College) 15 tonnes of which had weathered away over the lifetime of the spire; roof repairs to Ss Peter, Paul and St Philomena’s church New Brighton, Liverpool, a project which faced many challenges due to the then innovative use of reinforced concrete when the church was built in 1933 and conservation and repair work to St Mary Magdalene Church, Paddington, London, a project which has brought back to life the architectural and decorative quality of this Gothic Revival masterpiece.
The winning architect will receive the King of Prussia Gold Medal, the gift of King Frederick William IV of Prussia (1795 – 1861) to the Incorporated Church Building Society in 1857.
ABOUT THE CHURCH ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
The Church Architecture Awards are run by the National Churches Trust, the UK’s church buildings support charity, and the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association.
FULL DETAILS PRESIDENTS’ AWARD SHORTLIST
- St Mark church, Clerkenwell, London – Grade II Listed – Church of England
Architects – ZRP Architects
NEW ACCESS RAMP
The project comprises the removal of hostile metal railings across the front boundary, refurbishment to the front steps and the construction of an access ramp to the south door. The ramp was designed to have minimal impact with radially arranged fins permitting views through towards the church at all points.
- Ealing Green church, Ealing Road London – Unlisted – Methodist and Reformed Church
Architects – Potter Church & Holmes Architects Ltd
St Comghans Chapel, Kilchoan – Exterior (Photo Credit Kevin McCollum)
RENOVATION AND EXTENSION OF CHURCH
In response to the riots in West London of 2011, the focus of this project was to create not only an uplifting and inspiring place of worship, but extend the church mission beyond the congregation, opening up the building to the wider community.
- St Comghan’s chapel, Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan Estate, Scotland – Unlisted – Ecumenical
Architects – GLM
NEW CHAPEL
This 21st century design is unapologetically eclectic, combining the stylised designs typical of Romanesque architecture with Celtic key patterns and knotwork. The only concessions to modernity are electricity and a heating mat in the floor, the latter not so much for human comfort as for fabric protection. This building is designed to last and will stand as a place of contemplation and worship for the enjoyment of generations to come.
- St Mary’s church, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire – Grade I Listed – Church of England
Architects – Buttress
NEW SERVERY, RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES
A key aim for the project was to improve the church’s catering facilities to support its growing role as a space for community events. In response, the architects designed a new refreshment facility that can be entirely concealed when not in use. Underfloor heating has been installed, and a new stone floor was laid to remove the level change and return the floor to its pre-19th century height.
- St Edmund King & Martyr church, Southwold, Suffolk- Grade I Listed – Church of England
Architects – Nicholas Jacob Architects
St Michael & All Angels, Summertown Completed Project
REORDERING AND NEW FACILITIES
The works at St Edmund King & Martyr church involved a complete reordering of the west end of the North and South aisles and the base of the tower to create new facilities and an open more flexible space for congregating and socializing.
- St Michael & All Angels, Summertown, Oxford – Grade II Listed – Church of England
Architects – Adrian James Architects
NEW EXTENSION
A new front extension creates a new threshold for the church: a capacious new entrance hall plus ancillary spaces including kitchen, toilets, stores and an office. The new hall is a lofty space filled with light and with its own special character. The huge top light and the circular timber crown in the ceiling give it a numinous quality as befits a true narthex. This is a space that mediates between the secular and the sacred.
FULL DETAILS KING OF PRUSSIA GOLD MEDAL SHORTLIST
- Dukinfield Old Chapel, Dukinfield, Manchester – Grade II* Listed – Unitarian
Architects – Lloyd Evans Pritchard
RE-ROOFING AND MASONRY REPAIRS
This project included careful structural timber and plaster repairs in tandem with reroofing works and renewal of rainwater goods that were specifically designed to enable them to be more easily inspected and maintained in the future. The conservation work has allowed the chapel to reopen. The works are aimed at growing the church and the use of the chapel build by the local community.
- St Jude’s church – now St Mellitus Theological College, Kensington, London – Grade II* Listed – Church of England
Architects – HMDW Architects Ltd
SPIRE REPAIR
Following stone falls in 2016, it became apparent that the crumbling masonry of the 1870-9 Godwin-designed church building needed urgent attention. The exposed condition of the spire manifested the extent of decay and stone loss when the Structural Engineer calculated that 15 tonnes of material has weathered away over the lifetime of the spire, including from the steeple’s interior. The church building now projects a positive image that the Church’s ministry is alive and well.
- Ss Peter, Paul and St Philomena’s Church, New Brighton, Liverpool – Grade II Listed – Roman Catholic
Architects – IBI Group
ROOF REPAIRS
A significant Wirral landmark overlooking Liverpool Bay, Ss Peter, Paul and St Philomena’s Church was nicknamed ‘The Dome of Home’ by sailors during The Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Many challenges to its restoration and repair were due to the innovative nature of its construction. Built in 1933, this was one of the first reinforced concrete churches in the country. However, inherent faults in the rigid concrete frame and flexible brick skin design caused much internal and external cracking, allowing water penetration and subsequent damage.
- St Mary Magdalene Church, Paddington, London, W2 5TF – Grade I Listed – Church of England
Architects – Caroe Architecture Ltd
CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF INTERIORS
This conservation project aimed to conserve and bring to the surface the architectural and decorative quality of this Gothic Revival masterpiece, employing sensitivity and high standards in design and workmanship. A vital component of this work was the conservation cleaning of fine decorative painted ceilings in the Nave and Chancel, which were executed by a leading ecclesiastical artist of the day, Daniel Bell.
- St Edmund’s church, Church Road, Thurne, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – Grade II* – Church of England
Architects – Nicholas Warns Architect Ltd
REPAIRS TO ROOF AND RE-THATCHING
The Chancel was found in a very poor state. The pitch of the roof was 32° instead of the minimum 45° required for a thatched roof. This resulted in rainwater soaking the timbers and made the ceiling collapse. The Church has been brought back into good repair which has allowed the community to enjoy this space for worship and beyond.
- The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Upper Stoke, Rochester, Kent – Grade I Listed – Church of England
Architects – Rena Pitsilli-Graham
MAJOR RESTORATION
Structural movement in the South Aisle of this 12th century, Grade 1 listed church caused substantial damage to walls and roof finishes, sparklng off a major restoration of the entire building. 20m long foundation piles were carefully positioned to avoid surprising archaeological finds, the entire roof was recovered with new handmade tiles, the walls were repaired, saving early render and a new gleaming weathervane was added to celebrate reversing many years of decline and decay.
