ST GEORGE'S CRYPT
Extension
Location:
St George's Church, Leeds City Centre
Client:
St George's Crypt
Approx Value:
£1m
The emerging brief was
for an extension of 220sq.m. to house a suite of rooms (divisible with full
height folding partitions) that could be combined to give a large multi-purpose
space, a duty office and a new reception area that would provide a welcome more
akin to a hotel than a hostel. The
existing spaces were to be re-organised to substantially increase the number of
bedrooms for the rough sleepers and to
improve the welfare facilities. It was
to include a large open plan space for the visiting Health Access Team, a new
Resident’s lounge and contemporary cafe.
Space was initially
sought at church floor level, but this was seen as a potential risk to the
development of the church. The need to
extend within the boundaries of the churchyard was clear. This had archaeological implications and
invoked the planning system. Liaison
with the West Yorkshire Archaeology Services, Planning and Conservation teams
at the Local Authority, Civic Trust, DAC and Amenity Societies were
crucial. The highlight of the
consultation process was a Parliamentary Reception at Westminster to support
the (successful) bid for £1million of Government funding for the project.
The design is
reversible: the new building stands alone as a pavilion by creating a light
touch circulation route linking the uses of the old and new structures. Maintaining daylight and ventilation into the
former external rooms to the crypt was crucial so roof windows in the main
corridor allow sunlight to penetrate and to warm the heavy stone crypt
walls. These windows also provide
glimpses of the church, sitting on the podium above the Crypt.
A new entrance pod
provides an easily identified direct access to Thoresby Place overcoming the
accessibility issues inherent in the existing building. The serpentine wall of the Reception Area is
glazed with cast glass panels, some of which are clear and some opaque,
mirroring the transition from public to private space. This glass wall provides diffuse views of the
Manor Ash tree beyond and, at night, the activity within.
The exterior of the
Church and the walls of its podium are largely devoid of detail, consistent
with the original architect’s brief to create a church of “plain bold style,
free from ornaments.” The new extension
continues this theme and the design has expressed the main elements of the
original buildings: walls, windows and roofs are simple planes that relate in
scale and height to the dominant shoulder line of the hood moulding running
east to west across the south wall of the Crypt. The main roof over the pavilion is a series
of low pitched metal standing seam roofs in Terne-coated stainless steel which
will eventually weather down to assume the patina of lead. It extends to a thin metal edge over a band
of clerestory glazing which, at night, looks as if it floats above the
building.
The new Centre sits
below the main parapet walls to St George’s Church Crypt and provides a setting
within the reformed garden which is tended by the users. This garden has been awarded a Silver medal
in the ‘Leeds in Bloom’ competition.
St George's Crypt received the runner-up position in the EASA Presidents' Awards
2011 and has been shortlisted for the Leeds Architecture Awards.
