ST JOHN AT HACKNEY

First designed in 1797 by architect James Spiller, St John at Hackney Church has been refurbished between 2017 and 2020 by John Pawson in collaboration with architecture studio Thomas Ford & Partners.

In Pawson’s first church project in the UK, the architect has decided to include contemporary furnishing and facilities in the building in order to create both a place of worship but also a venue for art events.

“The vision driving the refurbishment of this east London church was always of a ‘cathedral of creativity’, where architecture and people can come together in the richest ways possible, for a variety of purposes and activities, sacred and secular,” said Pawson.

“As a designer, it is my belief that such creativity is stimulated and fostered both by the detail of a physical environment and by the character of its atmosphere.”

Pawson chose to use Pendant Tube, made in collaboration with WonderGlass, to create a sculptural lighting system running all around the church structure. Each element perfectly combines with the other, in a triumph of sacred grace and minimalist design.

Photographed by Gilbert McCarragher.