Hugh Broughton Architects in collaboration with conservation specialists Martin Ashley Architects has restored and adapted Sheerness Dockyard Church on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, south-east England, creating a new community, coworking, and events hub within the Grade II* listed building.

The Dockyard Church occupies a prominent position at the entrance to the former Royal Dockyard and is clearly visible from Sheerness High Street. Although positioned outside the dockyard wall, it forms an important part of the surviving early 19th-century dockyard ensemble associated with Scottish civil engineer John Rennie’s redevelopment of the site. The historic core also includes the surviving Naval and Officers’ Terraces, Superintendent’s House, and Dockyard Gates.

Lying vacant since 1970 and gutted by fire in 2001, the church has now been repaired and adapted with a new roof and interior spaces, while surviving elements have been retained to communicate the history of the building and its relationship with the former Royal Dockyard.

The building has also taken on a new civic role, incorporating an exhibition area, cafe, events space, and a business incubator hub that will support local young people in establishing financial independence through entrepreneurship.

Repair and reconstruction

The work included extensive repairs to the brick and stone exterior and the complete reconstruction of the clocktower. Fire damage meant that the existing cast iron columns could no longer support the load of the new roof, requiring new trusses to span 18 metres from wall to wall. The hybrid trusses use a steel plate core with glulam sections bolted to either side: the steel provides the required spanning capacity, while the glulam resists twisting forces. This materially efficient arrangement significantly reduces the quantity of steel required compared with an entirely steel-framed solution.

Above, the remainder of the roof is traditionally framed in timber, responding to the heritage of the building and providing a significant store of sequestered carbon. The reconstructed roof follows the original profile shown in the early 19th-century designs by English architect George Ledwell Taylor.

Rendered parapets shown in Taylor’s drawings have also been reinstated, while new windows, doors, and decorative iron railings complete the repair of the exterior.

Inside, original features have been conserved or reconstructed where appropriate. These include a fully rebuilt cantilevered stone stair and conserved and redecorated fluted cast iron columns.

The project does not attempt to recreate the original interior in full. Other surviving elements, including a broken stone stair and fragments of decorative plaster, have instead been stabilised and retained as visible traces of the building’s history.

Contemporary interventions

New interventions required for the building’s current use are expressed as contemporary additions.

The design sought to retain all salvageable existing fabric, with existing structural elements repaired and reused where possible. New interventions were conceived as light and demountable, including non-structural partitions, lightweight steel link bridges, and glazed screens that can be removed without irreversibly damaging the listed fabric.

A polished concrete floor incorporates underfloor heating and includes a central aisle formed from relaid original stone tiles. Glazed partitions and doors create separate meeting spaces while maintaining the openness and volume of the main interior.

Upper-level open-plan workspaces follow the footprint of the church’s original tiered seating galleries and are connected by lightweight steel link bridges.

Slatted timber ceilings conceal insulation intended to improve acoustic performance, while the timber flitch beams support track-mounted lighting and high-performance fire detection systems. Four large circular skylights introduce natural light into the main space.

A new accessible timber stage with supporting audiovisual facilities complements the central stone-tiled aisle, creating a multifunctional events space that has hosted business conferences, concerts, plays, weddings, art classes, and community and town hall meetings.

The Great Dockyard Model

Sections of the Great Dockyard Model are displayed on the ground floor. Made more than 200 years ago to demonstrate John Rennie’s plans for the redevelopment of Sheerness Dockyard, the large wooden scale model provides a detailed representation of the site. As a focal point for visitors, it helps communicate the history of the dockyard and its place within Britain’s naval history. Previously in the care of English Heritage, the model is being returned to Sheerness in sections.

Architect Hugh Broughton said: ‘The reinvigorated building will provide a focus for young entrepreneurs in Sheerness and a place for the local community to learn about the history of the dockyard. The existing fabric has been meticulously conserved and new elements added in a sympathetic manner to bring new life back into this important structure.’

A new community use

Social sustainability was a key driver of the project, with the building’s new civic purpose intended to serve the widest possible user base. Architectural interventions were designed to make the former church accessible and welcoming, an approach reflected in elements including the glazed screens and doors, cafe, and new toilet facilities.

Fruitbowl Media manages the new Island Works coworking space at Dockyard Church in partnership with the Kent Foundation, offering flexible memberships and a range of spaces for different business needs.

The Kent Foundation also provides business support for local young people aged 16 to 30 who are starting or developing businesses, including free workshops, advisory sessions, and events.

The public has access to the Island Works Cafe and the Great Dockyard Model, while spaces within the church are also available for meetings and events.

The £9.5 million project was completed by the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust and funded by a £5.2 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with match funding from Historic England and numerous other supporters.