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Christ Church, Spitalfields
2008-
Dow Jones Architects
Images, 9 Jan 2009

In December 2008, Dow Jones Architects won an invited competition to redevelop
the crypt of Christ Church, Hawksmoors grade I listed church in
Spitalfields. The church above was substantially restored by Purcell Miller
Tritton in 2004. The crypt has been used latterly as a shelter for homeless
men, and also provides a meeting and prayer space for the parish. It is
brick vaulted with limestone piers, with some natural light from the existing
windows.
Our proposal places three enclosures inside the crypt, which house the
private or functional aspects of the brief, and create a series of communal
spaces in between. These enclosures are made of oak, responding to Hawksmoors
use of joinery in the church above to make the areas of inhabitation
stairs, window seats and balconies that reconcile the giant order
of the church with the human scale. The enclosures in the aisle contain
the shop, w.c.s, kitchen, green room and stores; the top of these enclosures
align with the top of the piers, allowing natural light from the side
windows to light the central spaces. The third enclosure at the east end
is the chapel; it is marked out by its form which follows the form of
the vaulting.

The crypt is entered via a generous ramp accessed from the street which
enters through the west door and runs into the heart of the crypt. We
are proposing that the ramp and the floor establish a new ground within
the space, and are made of terrazzo with crushed limestone chips.
We imagine the crypt space operating like a small town, with the café
space being like a market square, a point of orientation and collection,
with the hall and chapel around it. The organisation is sufficiently robust
and flexible to allow the crypt to be used in many different ways. Like
a small town, it has everyday happenings a meeting in the hall,
prayers in the chapel, lunch in the café and is transformed
for particular events a theatre performance spilling out into the
aisles and café in the interval, the great doors opening from the
hall into the café for a huge gathering, a special service followed
by a meal in the café.
Christ Church Crypt Design images / information from Dow Jones Architects
090109
Christ Church Spitalfields, East End
1715-29
Nicholas Hawksmoor, Architect

Photo © adrian welch
Christ Church Spitalfields
: main page
Christ Church Crypt designers
: Dow Jones Architects
Christ
Church Spitalfields architect - Nicholas Hawksmoor
St Paul's Cathedral London
London Church
Architect - Christopher Wren
London Architects
London Architecture
Christ
Church Spitalfields restoration : Purcell Miller Tritton
World Architecture: e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
London Churches
Comments / photos for the Christ Church Spitalfields Crypt page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
Christ Church Crypt Design
- page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
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