­­­lighthouse church is a beacon of community renewal

Lighthouse Church is designed to provide a renewed Christian presence and sense of community in the heart of Heswall. The transformation of this urban church site into a vibrant hub for all is a testament to the power of thoughtful design in fostering social and economic value, nurturing locals, and creating spaces for shared experiences.

At the heart of our design approach was an emphasis on embracing the church’s established ethos of welcome and hospitality but making this much more visible. We engaged with a wide range of church members and attended various groups and activities before putting pen to paper, using this experience to successfully challenge the initial design brief to propose a bolder and more innovative approach, embedded in the church’s own vision. The church embraced our concept, supporting a design that aligns with their ambition to grow in numbers, to continue to engage with diverse audiences and to maintain and strengthen their role in the community with a broad range of outreach services. We collaborated closely with the church steering group to design a series of spaces that can accommodate a wide range of events. These include concerts, exhibitions, playgroups, youth clubs, classes, meals, social gatherings and community support services, making it a central hub for local activities.

The previous church and parish hall buildings were in poor condition and no longer fit for purpose. The new design for The Parish of Heswall addressed immediate maintenance issues and enhances the physical connection between the church’s main spaces, which was previously lacking. A key feature to the church’s design is the extensive glazing to the street which invites people to step inside, while establishing a new relationship with the existing streetscape and community.

Inspired by ecclesiastical forms, the design features a simple pitched volume beneath which all the main spaces are organised. The worship space, lit by clerestory glazing, is at the heart of the building, flanked by hospitality and community spaces. These are separated by flexible meeting areas that can be opened up to extend the main spaces, creating a layering of uses visible to the street. This design promotes a contemporary ecclesiastical identity. The proposal aims to “de-cellularise” a conventional layout of rooms served by corridors, providing a more flexible, accessible and efficient arrangement that flow seamlessly and accommodate diverse activities and groups.

The new building has a distinctive identity and a strong presence within the town of Heswall. The daily life and activity visible through the carefully positioned glazing further enhance this presence. As the first new public building in the town for over 50 years, Lighthouse Church is a bold intervention that sets a new standard for design quality and has the potential to further reinvigorate the high street and public realm in the area. Where the former buildings were inward-looking and unwelcoming, the new church faces outwards with extensive glazing addressing the street, inviting people to step inside. It re-establishes the church’s presence at the heart of the community, with a ‘shop window’ offering views in to the activities taking place.

While deliberately modern in style, the building has been designed with the historic context and streetscape very much in mind. The metal finish to the main volume takes its cue from the previous church. The building’s ridge height matches that of the old building, and its pitched form draws inspiration from historic ecclesiastical buildings. The scale, form and building line are all appropriate to the building’s public function as well as being respectful of the church’s immediate context. The name and branding of Lighthouse Church, conceived by shedkm, reflect the church’s ethos and the idea of the building as a physical and metaphorical beacon in the community, highlighted by the glowing outward-facing elevations that contrast with the previous impermeable walls.

Lighthouse Church showcases our commitment at shedkm of putting cultural buildings at the heart of community life, to enhance both society and placemaking.

We are excited to also be working on another community church building over in Manchester, and look forward to sharing more details on that soon.

All images by Daniel Hopkinson. Words by shedkm's Darren Jones.