An interesting contemporary design of 1980, with church and hall under a single A-frame steel structure. The fitting out is functional in character. 

A site in Yate for a school, church and presbytery was purchased in 1965 to cater for the rapidly increasing population of the area. The school, designed by Peter Falconer & Partners of Stroud, was opened in January 1974 and was also used for worship. The present church-hall designed by Ivor Day & O’Brien was built next to the school and was opened by Bishop Alexander on 30 September 1981. The church is served from Chipping Sodbury (qv).

Description

A combined church and hall of 1981. The main structure consists of seven steel ‘A’ frames and the two main sections of the building are set end to end under a deep slate-covered roof. There is a large skylight to the hall on the north slope and a smaller skylight to the sanctuary of the church on the south slope. The roof is stepped to accommodate ancillary spaces along the south side and at the junction of church and hall is a bold south porch flanked by angled rendered fins. The low side walls under the deep eaves of the roof and the end walls are of red brick.

Internally the two main spaces are each three bays long, with the main trusses exposed and the spaces between them ceiled. Natural light from the two skylights is supplemented by low strip windows under the eaves. A partition with folding doors at the centre allows the church and hall spaces to be used together or separately. Within the ‘church’ space, the tabernacle is set within a large diamond-shaped recess behind the sanctuary. A Christus Regnans with painted figure hangs over the altar. The furnishings are generally contemporary with the church.

Heritage Details