FEATURE
EBENEZER CHURCH Almost 30 years after the last service was held at Ebenezer Church, the former Methodist church is finally getting a new lease of life. Work is underway to restore the dilapidated building and create 17 new apartments on the site. When Ebenezer Church closed its doors to its congregation in 1993, nobody thought that it would take almost three decades to find another use for the building. Architect Andy Merrett of Lovell Ozanne has been involved with the site for many years, but it took him working on another project to realise how it could move forward: “I have worked with several clients on Ebenezer Church and although we have had various approvals for developments nothing quite worked. However, when I was commissioned to work on the development of Grange Mews, the former Ford site, we identified as part of the planning process that joining the Ebenezer site and the Ford site with one-way road access would bring benefits to both.” It’s that project which is now underway. Building work started on the site last summer to create 17 apartments in the old church building and a newly built extension to its rear. The church itself was listed in 1994 so there will be little change made to the appearance of the original building. However, the old 1930s hall at the back of the church has been demolished and will be replaced with a three-storey extension to the rear of the main building. Architecturally, it’s a balancing act between protecting the historical interest while ensuring it is functional for its new residents. For Andy, the juxtaposition between old and new was key to the design: “The old building has informed the design for the new, but it is important that we ensure the new building clearly looks like a modern addition. We certainly wouldn’t want to try to copy the old building as that never works well from an architectural perspective. However, the new addition does pick up some of the detailing
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Guernsey Property and Construction
of the old while the use of stone will also tie it back in to the church structure. Importantly, the proportions will really tie it together and ensure it looks as one while having a clear distinction between old and new.” Architect Julian Hurley is working with Andy on the project. He has had experience with similar schemes in the UK so has brought that knowledge to the Ebenezer development. For him, it’s important to respect the existing building while ensuring it is fit for modern usage: “It’s certainly a very interesting project to work on. When you see the way it was constructed, using traditional methods, you really appreciate the work that went into it. We have to be very cautious that our interventions don’t destroy what is there and there are quite a few technical challenges associated with that. “The very large original windows, for example, need to be retained so we have to work around those while mitigating heat loss and preventing moisture from entering the property. We are also having to divide the building up around features such as the cast iron pillars that support the roof trusses from the ground. Our client, however, is keen that the residents of the building are able to appreciate the historic features of the former church and so we intend to draw attention to those aspects as far as possible.” Work started on the site last August and did face some Covid-related delays last year. However, with the project now progressing well, it is expected to complete early next year.
