ST MARY’S ON THE HILL PASTORAL CENTRE
Client
St. Mary’s on the Hill Parish
Completion
2011
GPS
54°40'07.8N 5°57'08.9W
The new Pastoral Centre, which replaced the existing parish hall, was designed to complement and enhance St. Bernard’s church as the central building of the site. Located on a large sloping landscaped site, the Pastoral Centre is arranged around two key forms that are connected by a central concourse enabling access from both the front and rear of the Centre.
The first structure, adjacent with the back of the Church, contains the new multi-purpose space and ancillary accommodation. It is designed as a single-storey freeform element finished with Donegal Shale natural stone relating to the materiality of the existing Church.
The second structure contains the main and minor halls. The simple form and materiality takes inspiration from traditional vernacular buildings and the rising height of this structure gives the hall a significant presence when arriving from the main car park area.