Church for the community
Night-time view of St Aidan's East Launceston with the latest addition clearly seen on the left. Photo Jonathan Wherrett
Newly renovated St Aidan's East Launceston. Photo Jonathan Wherrett
More visible, more accessible
In April the latest addition to St Aidan's, East Launceston, (part of the Anglican Parish of Riverlinks) was officially opened.
Designed to make the church more visible, more open, and more accessible to all in the community, the additions provide universal access to the much improved facilities in the main church building, enabling a wider range of activities.
Churches have always been natural community centres.
Many will remember Sunday Schools and youth groups, Guides and Scouts, social dances and tennis parties, and other gatherings often during times of community stress.
These days while not everyone sees the church as central to their community, most churches still provide social support and programs available to everyone, whether or not they are members. At St Aidan's there is an playgroup for pre-schoolers and carers; and very popular marriage preparation courses. Community groups and inter-church gatherings use the buildings.
The new additions to St Aidan's provide universal access to the church, and to toilet and baby-change facilities; a small kitchen; a sunny north-facing terrace which provides a safe outdoor play enclosure. New wings to the north and south are used for meetings throughout the week, Sunday School classes, storage, and after-service gatherings. They open fully to enlarge the main church space. These transepts utilise the broad arched brick openings provided for this purpose [in c.1922!], and enable more natural light to be brought into the centre of the church.
The new work has revealed the west and north sides of the church, for many years hidden by over-mature vegetation. These façades incorporate very high quality brickwork and moulded terracotta elements, characteristic of the work of the eminent architect Alexander North, who was responsible for the original design. The demolition of an old and dilapidated skillion-roofed 'temporary' timber vestry to the south has revealed one of the original leadlight windows, also designed by North.
The church was built in several stages: nave 1893-4; porch [base of intended tower] c.1912; crossing c.1922; chancel and crypt, 1952; transepts, ramp and terrace, 2007. The design was varied at each stage, and several different architects were involved over the years. However, the design intent for the church and the lychgate [1942] remained the same: to provide an attractive and functional building with an honest and straightforward expression of structure and materials in the Arts and Crafts manner, first popularised by William Morris in the 19th century.
The latest building project included the replacement of the flat roof over the porch, which had leaked badly for more than a decade. The new steeply pitched roof is clad in slate with a terracotta ridge capping, in keeping with the original building. The original timber belfry was repaired and mounted on the new roof, following the previous model.
As well as responding to the functional requirements of the brief and the church's desire to 'open up' the building, the architects were requested to design the new works in accordance with good architectural conservation policy. They were to provide additions that were clearly distinguishable from the earlier work; that involved no damage to the existing brick structure; that could, (if ever necessary), be removed without affecting the integrity of the original structure; and that complemented the original design intent.
The additions were designed by the Architects' Workshop, and Innis Tasmania was the principal contractor.
The overall result ensures the continued usefulness of the church building to the church and to the wider community, and brings it into line with current OH&S requirements and building regulations. Without this work, continued occupancy of the church would have been short-lived and decline inevitable.
The repair and protection of the original leadlight windows in the nave is currently under way. This will be followed by the refurbishment of the lychgate with its sheltered seating (known as 'Rest and be Thankful'!), and landscaping works.
Anne Neale, Church Warden