Floating Church, St Columba East London community, River Lee Navigation barge, Stratford Architecture Photos
Floating Church, St Columba East London community
14 Sep 2021
Design: DENIZEN WORKS, Architects
New Church building design on the water
Location: River Lee Navigation, at Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, East London, England, UK
Stephen Lawrence Prize 2021 Shortlisted
Photos © Gilbert McCarragher
Floating Church East London
Jury Report
A barge rather than a building, this mobile community facility occupies and makes use of the city’s underused canal infrastructure. The concertina roof structure is kinetic, allowing it to lie flat so that the barge can pass under bridges when moving between destinations.
Inside, there is good head height for a canal vessel, providing for a range of functions from cinema to church. A central rooflight oculus creates a pleasant pool of light to the main function area, complemented by the transparent sides of the pop-up roof which let in additional daylight.
The joinery details are neutral and carefully considered to allow sufficient storage. Where there is decoration, it features Art Deco design motifs and patterning finished to a high quality.
The Art Deco theme is continued on the outside through the colour scheme and horizontal stripes. When illuminated from the inside at night, the pop-up roof glows like a beacon.
The scheme was conceived as a product rather than a traditional building and has successfully maximized all the space inside and around the boat. Its flexibility of uses ensures that it can fulfil its brief to be a vital community asset for the neighbourhoods along the London canal network.
Floating Church at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford – Building Information
RIBA region: London
Architect practice: DENIZEN WORKS
Date of completion: January 2020
Client company name: Diocese of London
Project city/town: London
Contract value: Confidential
Internal area: 45.00 m²
Cost per m²: Confidential
Contractor company name: Turks Shipyard
Consultants:
Marine Fit Out: ANR Developments
Naval Architect: Tucker Designs
Sailmaker: Jeckells the Sailmakers
Furniture Designers: Plyco
Lighting Design: Arup
Consulting Engineer: Elliot Wood
Junior Consultant: ATB
Awards:
• RIBA Regional Award
• RIBA National Award
• Stephen Lawrence Prize 2021 Shortlist
Stephen Lawrence Prize 2021 Shortlist
Floating Church, St Columba East London community images / information received from RIBA 140921
Location: London, England, UK
London Homes
London Houses
Victorian Townhouse, Highgate, North London
Design: LLI Design
photograph © Rick Mccullagh / LLI Design
Victorian Townhouse in Highgate
Roof Conversion, Crouch End, North London
Design: JaK Studio, Architects
photo : Francesco Russo
Crouch End Flat Extension
London Architecture
Contemporary London Architectural Projects, chronological:
London Architecture Designs – chronological list
London Architecture Walking Tours – city walks by -architect
Photos for the Floating Church, St Columba East London community design by DENIZEN WORKS Architects page welcome
