In 2017 fire destroyed Rotorua’s St John’s Church. Our challenge was to design a ‘church for the future’.
The building had to connect to the community with flexible, welcoming spaces - honouring the past, functional today and planning for the future, while being multi-cultural / multi-generational.
The design eschews barriers to access which are present in many traditional Church buildings.
The judges said:
"Located on a busy intersection of Rotorua, the church is a replacement building after fire destroyed the original church in 2017 and has been rebuilt over the footprint of the previous structure. The brief for the new building was for a place of God that connects with the community with flexible, welcoming spaces. The design response is a modest building that is visually open and engaging.
Road noise pollution and visual distraction has been well considered as part of the design response. Due to the close proximity to neighbours, careful consideration was required in terms of managing privacy, noise and the visual impact of the new building. The use of red brick veneer creates a strong link to the past while also being residential in scale and nature. The overall result is a beautifully crafted interior and exterior that provides both a spiritual and practical environment for the community. Well done."