Keith Williams has been appointed to judge the RIBA run architectural competition for the remodelling of the Grade I listed church of St Michael le Belfrey in York.
Open to architect-led multidisciplinary teams, the two stage competition seeks innovative proposals to refurbish and reorder the 1537 landmark which has an 800 strong congregation and is net to York Minster in the heart of the city. The £3.5 million project will draw on contemporary technology to transform the popular venue into a welcoming, accessible and warm church environment, with flexible interior arrangement which remains faithful to its heritage.
Keith Williams, who is acting as RIBA adviser on the competition, said:
This stunningly beautiful church in its spectacular location next to one of Europe’s greatest cathedrals, is an absolute gem. Dating from the early 16th century, St Michael le Belfrey exhibits many layers of architectural intervention as patterns of worship and social structures have evolved over time. The great challenge set out in this competition is to create the new legacy, the 21st-century architectural intervention which will facilitate evolving patterns of worship for now and for generations to come.
The church’s vicar Matthew Porter said:
This project is all about making our historic church building better suited for worship and mission in the 21st century; being better equipped so we, and future generations, can even more effectively worship God and reach out with the love of Christ, to York and beyond.
The project aims to create a new flexible layout for the church while creating a new beautifully executed exterior welcome area alongside improved toilets, catering and changing facilities.
Interested teams must first register and submit an expression of interest featuring a team description, motivation for applying, and relevant examples of previous work. Stage one judges include Keith Williams and members of the Parochial Church Council at St Michael le Belfrey.
The winning team will deliver the scheme from RIBA Stage 1 through to 7. The deadline for applications is 2pm, 19 February.
The competition website is found at the RIBA Competitions website
The competition is featured on the Architects Journal website