St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace, London

St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
Client 
Trustees of St. Ethelburga's Centre
Awards 
RIBA Award (Commended) 2003
Awards 
City Heritage Society Award 2003
Awards 
Natural Stone Award 2003

This Grade I listed medieval church was all but destroyed by the Bishopgate bomb of April 1993. At first it seemed beyond repair. Following a design competition, the practice was appointed to undertake the exacting labour of conservation, repair and renewal. The team devised a scheme to repair the standing remains and rebuild a place of worship from the collected fragments. The aim was to preserve the historic and aesthetic value of the church whilst bearing witness to its turbulent history. Working closely with archaeologists, the team began the painstaking task of identifying and reinstating the original fabric. The greatest challenge was to reconstruct the western arch, which was rebuilt to incorporate a slight twist in the standing remains. Salvaged stones and a traditional timber centering were used, pushing the boundaries of conservation engineering to the limits. A contemporary steel and frameless glass structure was incorporated into the south aisle to house a new Centre for Reconciliation & Peace. The striking fusion of ancient and modern provides a fitting backdrop for the Centre's work. The practice's role in resurrecting this historic church has been recognized with a number of awards.