London-based architectural studio John Puttick Associates has completed the refurbishment of St Leonard’s Church in Hove, a seaside resort on the southern coast of England (part of the city of Brighton and Hove). The refurbishment includes the addition of a contemporary glulam (glued laminated timber) porch with a standing seam zinc roof. The new porch is designed to encapsulate the church’s welcoming nature.
The Grade II Listed St Leonard’s Church was originally built in the 13th century, eventually falling into ruin. The church remained in its ruined state until 1878 when English architects Richard Herbert Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow were tasked with rebuilding it. Incorporating parts of the original tower and south aisle, the church was reproduced in the Gothic Revival style as demonstrated by the use of lancet windows and knapped flint. In 1936 the building was widened to increase its capacity, with the textural richness of the knapped flint covering its double-nave form.
St Leonard’s had faced closure in 2016 owing to a dwindling congregation. In contrast, the nearby St Peter’s Church in Brighton had a large, vibrant, and youthful congregation that was outgrowing the existing premises. A vision to reimagine St Leonard’s as a “versatile community asset” included a partnership between community members of St Peter’s and the smaller, more traditional congregation of St Leonard’s — together, they would seek to revitalize the church. In 2020, John Puttick Associates won an invited competition to undertake the project (with funding provided by the Church of England in 2021).
John Puttick Associates specializes in civic and community projects, transforming existing buildings and designing new buildings. “The brief [for St Leonard’s] sought an adaptable and functional community space suited to a family-oriented, contemporary congregation,” says the studio. “We reimagined entry to the church as a gesture of welcome to all in the local neighborhood.” The studio relocated the entrance to the church’s western end, a more traditional entryway (the entrance’s original south-facing location acts as a second means of access). The addition of a timber porch — whose form echoes aspects of the church’s traditional architecture — provides an open and welcoming space, leading visitors into the refurbished nave.
The 4.5-meter-high (15-feet-high) glulam porch is topped by a standing seam zinc roof. The entrance includes two sets of timber-slatted doors that open towards the street and rear of the site, increasing the sense of openness to the community.
John Puttick Associates reinvigorated the church’s interior, conceiving a multipurpose floor plan. St Leonard’s includes a large northern nave and an adjacent smaller southern nave, delineated by original stone arches. Newly integrated glass doors within the arches offer flexibility depending on the community’s requirements. The larger nave houses contemporary services and live music; the smaller, more traditional nave retains its original encaustic tiled floor and holds a small place of worship.
In a bid to increase St Leonard’s appeal beyond churchgoers, the smaller nave includes a cafe area. Its counter is made from repurposed choir stalls — the joinery’s herringbone motif is a continuation of the original herringbone patterns found in the church’s tiling. A herringbone timber cladding covers new dividing screens, a new toilet pod, and the pattern is reflected in the timber porch’s herringbone oak slats.
The church’s grounds have also been improved as part of the project, including the addition of a new outdoor seating area, upgraded lighting, and renewed pathways.
Within the restrictions placed on a listed building, John Puttick Associates advocated for the church’s decarbonization wherever possible: the studio added an air source heat pump and throughout the church, an underfloor heating system is installed on top of the original parquet floor in order to protect it — the system has been covered, stepping the floor level up by 15 centimeters (ramps are installed at the new porch and supporting south entrance, ensuring the church is accessible).
