Holy Trinity Church is a Grade 2* listed building at the north eastern edge of Clapham Common. The original church is an elegantly proportioned, rhomboid meeting room with a portico and galleries. A place to hear the spoken word. To this were added over the last 200 years various extensions reflecting the changing needs of church and society. It currently presents a closed passive facade east towards Brixton and a rapidly energising urban environment. The church wishes to engage with the city, and this is the generation of the project.
MBA were appointed to apply this urban theology to present a lively, accessible face of the church facing east; to open the church, literally to the wider community.
MBA worked with the Holy Trinity's Living Stones Project to propose a series of alterations and improvements to the church, to increase its visible presence in the city, to improve accessibility and the internal organisation, and to make the building more useful and flexible as a resource for the whole community.
Tree canopies were raised to the south and east of the site, a hedge removed, and level access provided at the west end by raising the crescent shaped driveway leading to the portico,...
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Holy Trinity Church is a Grade 2* listed building at the north eastern edge of Clapham Common. The original church is an elegantly proportioned, rhomboid meeting room with a portico and galleries. A place to hear the spoken word. To this were added over the last 200 years various extensions reflecting the changing needs of church and society. It currently presents a closed passive facade east towards Brixton and a rapidly energising urban environment. The church wishes to engage with the city, and this is the generation of the project.
MBA were appointed to apply this urban theology to present a lively, accessible face of the church facing east; to open the church, literally to the wider community.
MBA worked with the Holy Trinity’s Living Stones Project to propose a series of alterations and improvements to the church, to increase its visible presence in the city, to improve accessibility and the internal organisation, and to make the building more useful and flexible as a resource for the whole community.
Tree canopies were raised to the south and east of the site, a hedge removed, and level access provided at the west end by raising the crescent shaped driveway leading to the portico, eliminating the step, but emphasising the relationship to the war memorial west of the main entrance.
A planning application was made for a new extension at the east end of the church to provide a space for the growing congregation and for education, meetings and exhibitions.
Holy Trinity Clapham is important in national and world history as the church of the Clapham Sect, the group of worshiping members of the church, led by William Wilberforce, who amongst other campaigners secured the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire.
The stone clad extension is separated from the existing church by a glazed ambulatory allowing free flow and movement from the church into the mew meeting rooms.
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