Selectaglaze helps church find a new "congregation"

This Summer will see one of London’s Grade II listed churches reborn as part of a state-of-the-art performance centre.

In 2006 the 150 year old Victorian St. John the Evangelist church was decommissioned by the Diocese of London. However, the Governors of the neighbouring Godolphin and Latymer School recognised its potential to play a major part in the development of a much needed music and drama centre for their pupils, so a 125 year lease was duly agreed.

“The Bishop Centre”, as it will be known (in memory of Dame Joyce Bishop who was Head Mistress from 1935–1963), can accommodate audiences of up to 800. Balconies at the upper level afford extra seating space and the hydraulic steel deck staging system is modular, allowing seating to be arranged in 18 different configurations. An orchestra pit, theatre in the round, catwalk, stage at either end of the auditorium and raked seating are a few of the options now available to the school, who will also make the facilities available to the local community.

Working closely with Architects, Burrell, Foley and Fischer Selectaglaze, the UK’s leading designers, manufacturers and installers of secondary glazing systems were tasked with providing units to minimise noise ingress and egress without introducing additional sight lines to the Gothic style windows, particularly the 2 monumental windows at either end of the church. The units needed to be so subtle and unobtrusive to render them almost invisible. Selectaglaze achieved the desired effect with a combination of their Series 10 and 20 horizontal and vertical sliding units and Series 46 fixed lights, most of which featured curved heads. A total of 96 units were provided with either white or grey/beige coating, to successfully blend with the building’s beautifully restored stone and brickwork.