Golden Tabernacle

The client was outgrowing its current accommodation on the First Floor in an industrial shed and was looking into how to best expand to cope with both current and future congregations. The project’s first objective was to find a site in the Bristol area that will house the scheme.

The briefing by the client showed ambition and painted a clear view, thinking and believe of the future. The project was to include car parking spaces for 500 vehicles, a Gym, a Café, Book Shop,  Office spaces, both for the Church and those that can be hired-out, which also becomes a means of inviting people onto the site and make the place vibrant. Other requirements included a 500 seater hall, Young Adults and Children’s Church, a Sports field where Football,  Basketball, Tennis and other sports can also be played.

In the search for the site and the size of the space required to encompass the brief, it was clear that a green field site was going to be required. The site identified for the scheme was approximately 5 miles from their current location – a different context and atmosphere compared to the industrial estate currently occupied.

The scheme was designed to occupy the site and was arranged to maximise views across the site. Three main entrances were to be provided, serving separate programmes but can  also be linked together to form a single use.

The three core programmes are: (1) The Church Auditorium with a Main Entrance serving other functions in its cluster,  (2) The Church Office, the nerve centre of operations during the week, (3) The Community Hall, capable of been operated independently, outside the other two programmes.

The Church Auditorium, the highest building and point on site, wraps itself in a gold-relief-like cladding finish. It stands bold, motionless, quietly, and calmly, sitting in a shallow pool of water, reflecting the shimmering liquid-gold structure it presents itself. The main entrance is an open triple volume space, design to inspire and seemingly transport one to another dimension.

The modern Cathedral-esq structure, arrests the eyes and commands the body, even prior to entering the site. The sun, seemingly melting the physical gold box, alluding to be the sun itself as the river of gold is poured generously onto the  marble floor. The floating sun diffusers and the open-ended cylindrical rooflight not wanting to be up-staged, transforms themselves to become both the conductor and conduit of light.