JOURNAL OF THE LONDON SOCIETY 2021
Faced with a fall in congregation numbers, an East London Diocese took a radical change of direction by commissioning a waterbound place of worship
The Church of England had a problem. Part of its charter is to have a presence in every diocese, but in certain parts of East London it was finding it a challenge to reach potential parishioners who don’t want to walk more than two miles to find a church. The solution? Commissioning Genesis, a wide-beam narrowboat moored on the River Lee Navigation alongside Here East at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to develop better links with the community living around the canal. It serves as a space for worship and is also available for private hire and for use by local schools. Architects Denizen Works developed the design in close collaboration with Turks Shipyard and naval architect Tony Tucker. “It’s a modern day mission” explains Murray Kerr, founder of Denizen Works. “As a mixed-use faith and community project we feel the boat could be a first step in changing our thinking about how communities can continue to be served as they grow and move away from traditional locations and building types. Most of all, the project demonstrates what can be achieved when a brave client with an exciting brief believes in an ambitious design team.”
All images - Gilbert McCarragher
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