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St. Peter’s Church | Walworth
The crypt of this magnificent church by Sir John Soane, the celebrated Georgian architect, perhaps best known for his work on the Bank of England, was painstakingly restored and re-planned to provide a Learning, Arts and Community Centre. Known as the InSpire Centre, the crypt now includes a digital arts and media centre, an IT suite, crèche, conference and performance spaces, a café and meeting rooms.
St. Peter's Church was built between 1823 and 1825 as part of the Church Building Act of 1818 and is the first church that Soane designed. The church was altered in 1888 and was subject to reconstruction works in 1953 following bomb damage during the Second World War.
The crypt of the church was sensitively restored and converted for a modern practical use without compromising the fabric of the historic building. The Grade I listed church is the last building attributed to Soane without alteration and therefore demanded extra special care and attention. The InSpire Centre includes spacious meeting rooms, hall and cafe area, and makes maximum use of the dramatic brick vaulted subterranean architecture of the crypt. In conjunction with a lift, the formal vestibule areas, previously neglected but a fine example of Soane's architecture, have been brought back into life.
Contract Sum £1.2m
Architect Russell Hanslip Associates
Structural Engineers Ellis & Moore
Mechanical & Electrical Engineers Carmel Building Services
Main Contractor Wallis Special Projects (Kier Group)
Stone and brick cleaning Stone Restoration Services
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