St Mary's Church Hall
The existing access to the Hall comprised an exceedingly narrow, ramped and stepped alley which was very poorly lit. As it was not possible to form the Main Hall access, within these confines, to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, a new Main Hall access required to be formed. This involved erecting an Entrance Hall comprising staircase and platform lift for the disabled.
2 no. unsympathetic flat roofed extensions to the side of the Main Hall, which had been clad externally with a grey, split concrete block, were re-clad with a dressed random rubble buff sandstone to match the Hall. The roofs were changed to pitched with an indigenous slate finish to blend with the existing. All windows were changed to timber, as was all the windows to the Main Hall which had been replaced in recent years to white PVC.
The red sandstone building, adjoining the new entrance area, comprised Meeting Rooms, Church Office, Sacristy etc. is ‘B’ Listed and accordingly Listed Building Consent was applied for and approved by Historic Scotland. To separate the new extension from this building, a flank feature wall of Cumbria slate was erected and extended through the main doors/screen into the Entrance Hall. To provide fixed seating within the entrance hall a cantilevered section of the new facade was formed and finished externally with Western Red Cedar and glass blocks. This feature panel was framed all round with sheet zinc cladding.
The Main Hall had sadly been neglected over the years and consequently was upgraded. This involved re-sanding and sealing the maple strip flooring, improving the dim lighting by stripping out the suspended fluorescent fittings and fitting recessed downlighters with dimmer switches and providing wall lights to create warmer surroundings. The existing timber dado panelling and cast iron radiators were stripped back to original finish and redecorated.
