St Laurence Church
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The new timber flooring sweeps through to the platform in the north aisle, in the background above lies the new steel structural platform with glass balustrades
A internal renovation of an early 12th century Parish Church in central Reading has been contemporary designed to include a cafe and flexible multi-purpose space
The church project was designed to allow the building to engage with its parish and to regain its place in society as a mission church.
The whole nave and aisle floor have been cleared, creating a multipurpose space, which can be used for church services or other formal or informal activities. Chairs replace pews and timber flooring is used making the space more flexible. The design includes a public cafe, which is located on the rear nave of the church on a new mezzanine floor overlooking the multi-purpose space below.
In the aisle, a mezzanine steel structure has been installed, in part an open platform with a glass balustrade, in part a glazed meeting room. Beneath its west end are a pod of WCs and a kitchen/servery, clad in vertical timber boarding.
New glass entrance doors to the west end are framed as a glass cylinder, with the space above currently used as an office. It is linked to the mezzanine by a bridge that threads through the existing stone columns and arches.
Data
- Begun: Jun 2003
- Completed: Jun 2004
- Floor area: 450m2
- Sector: Religious
- Total cost: £450,000
- Funding: Private
- Procurement: JCT
- Address: St. Laurence Church, Friar Street, Reading, RG1 1DA, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: RRA Architects
- Client: Reverend Chris Russell, St Laurence Church PCC
- Consultant engineer: JC Sturrock Engineers
- Fire consultant: Tenos
Suppliers
- Glazing: James Clark & Partners Glazing
- steel fabrication: Barrs Court Engineering
- Electrical: Active Electrical Services
- Heating: Walker Plumbing and Heating
- Ventilation: Walker Plumbing and Heating
- Air Conditioning: Walker Plumbing and Heating