Lumen URC, formerly known as Regent Square URC, is a church located in the heart of
Bloomsbury which has a newly-modernized RIBA award winning building.
The original Regency Gothic Church, which was a miniature version of York Minster, was seriously damaged by
bombing in World War II and was completely rebuilt in 1965. Now that building
has been completely re-modelled and extended for a new century of service to a
changing inner-city residential community, visitors to London and numerous
institutions (colleges, hospitals etc.) in the neighbourhood.
Theis and Khan Architects were commissioned to redesign the existing 1960s church
building in order to create a new church and community centre open to people of
all faiths. Their design retains the original building’s volume
and coherence, but adds new amenities – an entrance, a lift, toilets, offices,
multi-use spaces and a courtyard garden planted with herbs and silver birch
trees. The garden provides a modern form of cloister with an arcade around the
courtyard
A new conical shell-like 'sacred space' reaches
through the full 11m height of the building to penetrate the existing church
roof, primarily to receive direct natural light. The light inside alters with
weather and seasons, which was intended to convey a sense of peace and
separation from the bustle of the outside world. The position of this sacred
space at the heart of lumen provides a secluded area for
contemplation.
Lumen also has a small gallery which showcases the work
of local artists, photographers and students. On the day I visited, the
exhibition was Within you Without you which
featured four artists (Angela Eden, Sandra Jacobs, Dorothea Magonet and Mary
Ottaway) using sculpture, drawing, photography and installation to respond to
the word “Lumen” and to the physical and spiritual space it inhabits.
A
1966 stained glass window designed by Pierre Fourmaintraux was retained
within the building by moving it from the west side wall to make it central to
the church. This window contains over 1,000 pieces of one inch thick glass in
21 panels. Each piece was expertly cut by hand, by scoring the glass on the
surface and hitting it with a hammer on a small anvil so the piece would break
cleanly. The surface of the glass was chipped, so that sunlight striking the
glass goes in all directions.
The
window represents the Resurrection and is based on a passage from the final
chapter of Matthew’s gospel. It shows Christ risen from the tomb at the top
carrying the flag of a red cross on a white background. At the bottom is a
representation of spears and the bowed figure of Mary. It therefore evokes
ideas from Renaissance pictures of the cross and resurrection.
Fourmaintraux
worked for James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars Limited) between 1956 to 1969
as chief designer of slab glass and abstract designs. He was born in Northern
France, where his father owned a ceramics factory, in which he
initially worked. He married an English wife, Rachel Winslow, who was an
Impressionist painer and settled in England, ultimately in Harrow. While
in France he produced some conventional leaded stained glass, but he
changed after World War II to a method known as dalle de verre, consisting
of abstract designs, made of thick, small, dark pieces of glass
set in concrete. He produced such windows for Whitefriars and they
were especially popular in Roman Catholic churches.
‘Dalle’
is French for slab or tile. The window is made from by assembling small pieces
of glass, about one inch (22mm) thick, which have been carefully chipped and
shaped with a tungsten hammer, before they are set in concrete. The concrete is
reinforced, vibrated and cured to make a resilient and secure frame for the
glass. This technique is sometimes called ‘faceted’ glass. The effect is to
create window panels of extraordinary brilliance and colour; jewel-like concrete-set stained glass which is eminently complementary
to much of present-day architecture. Dalle
de verre windows are widely used in the USA and in Continental
Europe.
Following an invited competition, Rona Smith and
Alison Wilding were selected to create new site-specific works for Lumen as
part of the rebuilding of the church undertaken by Theis and Khan. Smith’s North
Elevation is an 8 metre tall bronze screen suspended within the alcove of
the window, gently arcing into the interior space. The screen’s geometric
spiral design is traditionally found in many sacred contexts including
Christian, Islamic, Greek and Roman architecture as well as Hindu and Buddhist
designs. Wilding created a trio of objects: a new font, a drinking fountain and
a garden fountain. Fundamental to each of the works are the themes of ‘living
water’ and light.
The artwork for the building also reflects the
United Reformed Church’s tradition of open, inclusive and accessible worship. Lumen’s
small worshipping community is made up from people of different backgrounds,
countries and ages who are open in outlook hoping that anyone from whatever
background, religious or other, will feel welcome and at ease with them. As the
church is used for Christian services as well as a variety of community
activities, the commissions embody these values, being universal and accessible
in both their design and imagery.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
