Chapel renovation project shortlisted for preservation award

A group of people standing in the HMC Chapel

HMC's renovation project team in the College's Chapel

Image: Edmund Blok

 

A major project to renovate Harris Manchester College’s Chapel has been shortlisted today for a prestigious local preservation award. The Oxford Preservation Trust Awards, which were established 48 years ago, celebrate the most successful examples of historic conservation in the city and are judged by a panel of architects, planners and historians.  

The Chapel has been nominated for the Trust’s “Adaptive Re-use" prize, which recognises projects that have “breathed new life into an existing building, adapting them for modern life while retaining their historic character and significance.” 

HMC’s Chapel, which is built in the arts and crafts style and dates back to the 1890s when the College first came to Oxford, is home to a range of historic features. They include its celebrated stained-glass windows, designed by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, and organ pipes painted by Morris & Co. 

Completed in February and managed by HMC’s Clerk of Works, Mark Longford, the project was made possible by the generous support of benefactors from across the College community. The work saw the installation of new lighting, wiring and live-streaming technology, the renovation of the interior’s original features, and the replacement of the floor coverings with a new carpet made from recycled plastic bottles designed to enhance the building’s aesthetics and sound quality.    

College Chaplain the Reverend Dr Claire MacDonald commented: “The Chapel sits at the heart of the college as a space for people of all faiths and none to find a connection to the peaceful beauty of its arts and crafts design. The renovation quite literally sheds light on its unique qualities and brings the imagination and hope of its founders to meet the college communities of the present and future.” 

The overall winners will be announced at the Oxford Preservation Trust’s Awards Evening on Wednesday 12 November. More information on the shortlist and the other nominees can be found on the Trust’s website.