Religious spaces or places of worship are often designed to be inspiring and uplifting. For the renovation of this church in Hong Kong, a light and natural material palette was used, with white colour and wood elements dominating the space to realise this objective well.
REUSE, RETROFIT & RENOVATE
As the renovation budget was limited, the solid wooden pews from the original church were reused and retrofitted to fit the new church hall. This also connects the old church to the new. Upon entering the hall, the pews on both sides of the aisle create a strong visual effect that makes visitors focus on the altar and cross in the front of the hall, illuminated by numerous custom pendant lights. Timber louvres extended along the entrance wall and the ceiling provide a sense of porosity to the space.
SPACE EFFICIENCY
Expanding storage spaces was a key priority in this renovation project. Concealed wall cabinets were built to store bibles, robes, pamphlets and other materials for a clean and simple look, accentuated with wood elements. The use of hidden storage space also helps the church committee organise different community activities efficiently in the hall.
NEW OFFICE WORKS
New Office Works (NOW) is an architecture and design studio based in Hong Kong. Its work has been recognised by various competitions and international awards, including winning first prize in the inaugural Hong Kong Young Architects & Designers Competition in 2018, Perspective Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2019 and the Architecture MasterPrize in 2019. It was also named as one of the Best Young Practices of 2020 by Archdaily. The studio’s recently completed projects include the West Kowloon Pavilion, the Hong Kong Design Centre and a retail pavilion for the DFS Group in Vietnam.
PROJECT DATA
Project Name
North Point Church
Location
4/F, 128 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong
Completion Date
2021
Client/Owner/Developer
The Incorporated Trustees of Man Lam Christian Church Hong Kong, The Church of Christ in China
Gross Floor Area
300 square metres
Interior Design Firm
DA Interior Design Ltd
Principal Designer
New Office Works
Number of Rooms
1 room
Lighting Consultant
DA Interior Design Ltd
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Max Beauty Engineering Limited
Quantity Surveyor
Krispace
Interior Fit-Out Contractor
Wah Po Construction Ltd
Images
Xu Liang Leon
This is an excerpt. The original article is published in Construction+ Q3 2022 Issue: Urban Development.
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