Holy Trinity RC Church, Newark.
Space and Light

The primary objective in the design of the church was to create a space in which the congregation could gather in a close and integrated relationship with the Sanctuary.

The priest and people are one in the celebration of the Mass and the dominant sense of a unified whole is expressed in every part of the building design. The plan is a basic octagon with the enclosing red brick walls moulded to give an interesting quality of scale, harmony and warmth. At the same time the interior has been given a powerful vertical emphasis which is enhanced by eight independent circular steel columns sweeping up to meet eight steel hip rafters which gather together to form the lantem at the apex of the roof. From this central octagon the timber ceiling radiates in the form of an all-embracing canopy, around which rooflights allow the daylight to filter down to give a sense of lightness and grace to the whole composition. At the same time the Sanctuary is given its own appropriate and discreet degree of highlighting.

Great care has been taken throughout to create an atmosphere which is both restful and devotional, as befits its true purpose as a setting for the Blessed Sacrament. Practical features include a spacious Narthex/Meeting Room with a balcony over to seat 50, in addition to 276 in the main body of the church. Sacristies have been designed so they can be dismantled in the future should the congregation require additional floor space, and the site layout allows for additional accommo- dation to be built between the church and the proposed Presbytery to the East should the need arise. Externally the theme of unity is even more evident in the unswept red brick walls of the four main arms, crowned with a central fibreglass spire. It gives the whole composition a unique identity and creates a focal point which sits happily in Newark’s townscape.