The former St Matthew’s Church in Hull has been restored and is now set to welcome the community through its doors once again, offering a revitalised multifunctional space.
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is delighted to have provided two grants towards the early stages of this project, awarding a Project Viability Grant in 2015 and a Project Development Grant in 2016 to support ambitions to convert the Grade II-listed building into a community enterprise centre.
Situated in a prominent place on Boulevard corner, adjacent to the Anlaby Street flyover, the former St Matthew’s Church is a major landmark in Hull. The substantial building dates back to 1870 and was originally designed to cater for the city’s growing population. Built of creamy white and contrasting red brick in an Early English style, it is the oldest and largest of the three remaining Victorian Anglican church buildings in the city. Its tall, broached spire can be seen far and wide, providing a focal point to many surrounding streets.
After serving its congregation for over a century, the church closed in 2013. Lying empty in the heart of the community, its future was uncertain.
Now, thanks to Giroscope – a local social housing charity that provides people with opportunities to gain accommodation, work experience and employment – the building has been restored to its former glory and converted for a sustainable new use.
Opened at the beginning of July, the old church has been transformed into St Matthew’s Community Enterprise Centre - a multi-functional business, conference and event space. The centre provides freelancers, social enterprises and businesses a place to work, develop and grow, with offices and meeting rooms on a new first-floor mezzanine and an open plan arrangement of co-working desks on the ground floor. Alongside the managed workspace, it also offers a collection of rooms and spaces to hire – the Nave can be adapted for celebrations, banquets, theatrical performances, concerts, and more; the Conference Room is available for a range of business events, from training sessions to boardroom meetings; and The Vestry serves as a smaller, more informal space for community groups and businesses. A First World War Memorial Window, which had previously been placed in storage, has also been restored and reinstated at the West end of the building, mixing original heritage features with contemporary additions to provide a dramatic and unique setting.
Image: The restored and reinstated First World War Memorial Window. Credit - Giroscope.
Congratulations to Giroscope on bringing this landmark historic building back into use to serve its community for many more generations to come. The AHF continues to support the charity with its next project at West Park Palace, which will see the former Edwardian cinema repurposed as a base for its volunteering, employment and skills development programme. This will complement the work at St Matthew’s Community Enterprise Centre, fulfilling Giroscope’s ambition to create a flexible and localised business infrastructure, aimed at supporting and stimulating employment and social growth in the area.
Richard Motley, Development & Regeneration Coordinator at Giroscope, said: “The early support from Architectural Heritage Fund provided us the space and resource to explore how we could breathe new life into this magnificent, distinctive and much-loved local landmark. Given the community’s local connection and affection for the building, we felt it needed an equally sensitive and future facing new life for St Matthews for the community!
Image: People looking at plans for Giroscope's next project at West Park Palace. Credit - Giroscope.
