The Architects Design Group (ADG) has been working with the Methodist Central Hall since the middle of last year to completely redesign the entrance lobby, kitchen and office accommodation inside the hall.
The centrepiece of the work is a new giant cross that has been hoisted into place outside the church, featuring a light which was switched on at a ceremony on Tuesday (December 13) to mark the completion of the work.
Reverend Paul Smith said: "We are really pleased with the end result of the work carried out on the church. I would like to thank everyone who has worked on the project and helped it come together, as well as our members for helping to fund it. Various Trusts have contributed towards the cost of £450,000 for this redevelopment work, but the lion's share has been born through the generous freewill giving of the members at Central Hall".
Work started on site at the church in July this year, and was completed this week. The entrance hall now features a contemporary design that uses an aluminium framed glazing system which wraps around the ground floor. This incorporates multi coloured green panels and a copper parapet roof.
Project architect Dave Vickerstaff said: “ADG have been involved with the Methodist Central Hall for many years on several different projects, and the latest work has really helped to bring the building up to date. We’ve worked closely with the church community and users of Central Hall to agree the final designs and this is the latest evolution of a grand building which has changed and adapted to meet the needs of Plymouth over the years.”
Completing the revamped entrance is a three-metre high, two-metre wide cross, designed by local sculptor Penny Hardy. The triple layered cross is formed with highly polished stainless steel which encloses a second cross made from Iroko wood and a beam of light creating a third cross in the centre.
Penny Hardy added: “I really wanted to create a landmark cross for the Methodist Central Hall that would be durable enough to potentially last forever, but would also stand out as slightly different to a normal church cross. The stainless steel represents mankind in its modern state, cupping and cherishing the wooden cross which represents the historical aspects of Christianity, and then the beacon of light beamed out from the centre of the cross symbolising Jesus, the light of the world.”
The Methodist Central Hall was originally built in 1811, when it was known as the Ebenezer Chapel. In 1939 the chapel underwent a major conversion and reopened in 1940 as the Methodist Central Hall. Since then, the church has had several renovations and updates to adapt to the needs of the local community and modernise in style and design.
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