6 mins
21st century churches
In the first part of a new short series, Thomas Baldwin looks at some new churches which have been built in the 21st century.
“IT has a real sense of peace when you walk in – a lot of people have commented on that,” says the Rev Jane Howitt of St Rollox Parish Church in Sighthill, Glasgow, of the church’s new building.
Sadly, it’s a peace that few so far have had the chance to experience, as Jane and her congregation had barely got through the door before the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed, and the building had to be closed again.
“So in terms of how the community’s been using the building, the answer is hardly anything yet!” laughs Jane. “But I think the possibilities are great.”
The shutdown is just another delay in a seven-year saga for the St Rollox congregation, a multi-cultural group that includes many people born outside Scotland, and has become well-known within Glasgow for its work with asylum seekers and refugees.
It began in 2013 with the receipt of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) from Glasgow City Council – the entire Sighthill area was to be regenerated, and the church was to be demolished. Unbelievably, this was the second time St Rollox had been hit with a CPO in 40 years, and the congregation, which was in vacancy at the time, was ‘not best pleased’, says Jane.
“But I think once we got the design in place, and they knew they were going to have a really beautiful building, folks began to change and look forward to it.”
Jane herself, who was called to the parish in 2016, thought it would be ‘great’: “There would be a purpose-built facility in the midst of this newly-regenerated community, and the church was going to be one of the first public buildings to open in the area, so would have the opportunity to welcome people moving into their new homes.”
By the time Jane arrived, the church (in consultation with the General Trustees) had agreed a replacement site with the council, and was finalising the design. It was another two years after that before construction began.
“One of the big problems was that the design for the church was approved before the masterplan for the whole area came out, and then the planning department wanted to change certain things about the design. We spent months trying to find a colour of brick they would approve – we were on first name terms with the staff at Glasgow Brick Yard!”
Another blow came when the congregation was given notice to quit their old building before the new one was anywhere near ready. Eventually the council agreed to provide a complex of Portacabins that was the church’s home for 18 months.
Financially, the CPO meant the congregation was entitled to enough money to replace the building, but that still left them needing to raise nearly £250,000 for fitting it out. A gift day raised over £10,000, and the General Trustees gave a generous grant, then another £50,000 was raised from various other grant-making bodies. “I spent a fortnight filling out application forms,” says Jane, “And every single one of them was successful, which is unheard of.”
They also had help from other churches in the Presbytery, to the extent that they have now almost reached the target. “All we can do is say ‘thank you’ to the people who have given,” says Jane, “But we are very conscious of how God has led His people to give, and it’s really a symbol of what the Church should be like – we’re each part of the same denomination, and to be able to share resources with one another is a very meaningful expression of being the Church.”
The building was finished in August and a celebratory opening service was held on October 6, but that still wasn’t the end of the story, as problems obtaining a completion certificate meant they weren’t allowed in permanently until the New Year. Then, less than three months later, enter the Coronavirus Covid-19.
Still, when the lockdown is eased, the congregation will be left with a building Jane describes as ‘a brilliant facility’ which will enable them to respond to the needs of the community as it grows around them.
“It’s a very friendly building to come into, which was part of our design thinking. You come into a big round open café area, so it’s very easy for non-church people – people of other faiths or no faith – to come into and feel that it’s a welcoming space.”
Asked if she had any advice for churches that might be thinking of a new building, she says: “One of the key things I would say is to be clear about their mission, and design the building to fit their mission, not the other way round.”
Above two: Monifieth Parish Church, Angus
Above two: St Rollox Parish Church Sighthill, Glasgow
“New church buildings can celebrate worship and community life in equal measure’
Alan Thomson is the director of Lee Boyd Designers and Architects, who worked on the new Monifieth Parish Church in Angus, which opened in September
Designing a new church to support the demands of church and community life in the 21st century is a task that needs to respond to the way in which the church sees itself now, its role as a place of worship and its role within its community. Whilst worship is inevitably the core reason for a new building, the modern church is often as much a social and community hub, providing accessible, flexible and comfortable space for all manner of activity and gathering. This means that a new church building is likely to look very different from a period church, conceived when priorities were contrary, and symbolism was integral in the reading of the architecture.
Our new church in Monifieth is very much a place of worship but some of the physical and perceptive boundaries synonymous with a traditional church are broken down so the building presents itself in a more open and inclusive way. It still looks like a public building by virtue of its form and massing, maybe even a church, but not to the extent that the wider public is intimidated about investigating what lies behind the street façade. We placed the sanctuary right on the High Street with large windows overlooking the pavement. This reinforces the connection of those inside to everyday life and lets the locals see unhindered into the building. When the building was opened to the public last autumn the level of curiosity and response was overwhelming.
The Church wanted their new building to be a destination, a place in town where people knew the doors were open for all, not just members. Although the sanctuary as a volume is more elaborately expressed, befitting of a modern public space it can equally support a public event as well as a church service.
Flexibility is inevitably an important design consideration these days to ensure efficiency and viability, but this doesn’t just mean sliding walls and room dividers. At Monifieth the different spaces are designed to accommodate and serve a wide variety of activity. This covers IT provision, choice of surfaces, extent of storage and environmental controls.
The overlap between the needs of the church and those of its community are surely positive and with the right balance of design and language, new church buildings can celebrate worship and community life in equal measure, in surrounds that can still inspire and reflect the benefits of good modern, public architecture.
This article appears in the June 2020 Issue of Life and Work
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