Holy Trinity Bow

"Conversion of a Grade II listed church into an heritage and arts centre"

■ Client

↣ New Testament Church of God

■ Type

↣ Culture

■ JMA+

↣ Branding, interior design, strategy, project management, digital marketing

■ Location

↣ East London, Bow

Located in the East London Hamlet of Mile End, the iconic Grade II* Listed church had been closed off from the local community for over 25 years. JMA were commissioned to undertake a restoration project for the local church, addressing the challenges of developing, managing, and sustaining the building, and attracting funding to maintain it. Our vision for the church was for it to become a significantly more active space in Tower Hamlets and serve as a Heritage and Arts Centre (‘HAC’).

After several meetings with local stakeholders, including the Tower Hamlet Heritage team and Heritage England, we assembled a team that considered both the construction and community development aspects of the project. Our restoration program, which began in 2019 and is ongoing, was a phased plan to gradually restore the church into a purpose-built facility for the community. Intermediate uses, pilot activities, and exhibitions were introduced during the repair process, gradually bringing the building into use for the community. Our client described our practice as ‘dedicated and diligent,’ ensuring ‘the success and development of our building restoration project.’

The renovation works were sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund and included historic repair works, the development of a community management group, and the development of organisational systems. This element of the project was successfully delivered in 2022, and to date, the restored building has welcomed performances and events from renowned artists such as CJ Hendry, Henry Holland, Tom Grenan, Benjamin Clemintine and Frank Laws. This is part of the strategy to ‘increase awareness, engagement and fundraising capacity,’ creating the HAC brand.