When looking for a rehearsal space and new home for their music education programme, the London Symphony Orchestra discovered St Luke’s – a Grade I listed church designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and John James. It was in a poor state and on English Heritage’s list of most important buildings at risk.
Our challenge was to carefully restore its heritage whilst providing cutting edge facilities for the orchestra. We focused on external restoration by adding a new roof and artists’ entrance on the site of the old vestry. An entirely new interior was constructed with the volume of the church forming the main rehearsal, education, and performance space that has become much loved by the orchestra and other performers. In the substructure, the formerly unsafe crypt was rebuilt to house a café. Extensions were excavated under the churchyard to create space for practice rooms, offices, plants, and visitor facilities.
For more details, read our Project Story.
Providing a new home for a world class orchestra in a beautifully restored Hawksmoor church.