EDWARD KING CHAPEL
at RIPON COLLEGE CUDDESDON
“When you stand on this site with your back to the great Beech, leaving the
buildings behind, you are in a ring of mature trees on high ground overlooking the
valley that stretches away towards Garsington. This clearing has its own particular
character, full of wind and light and the rustling of leaves. Our design seeks to
capture these qualities within the building.
We have two important architectural ideas. The first is a gentle hollow in the ground
as a meeting place for the community. The second is a delicate ship-like timber
structure that rises into the treetops to gather the light from the leaves. The first
idea speaks of ground, of meeting in the still centre. The second idea suggests an
uplifting buoyancy, rising towards the light. The way in which these two opposite
forces work off each other is what gives the building its particular character.”
Niall McLaughlin, Architect
“As writer of the design brief, I set the competition bar far higher than the creation
of a work of art, let alone of a mere ‘worship space’. This needed to be a chapel
designed to touch the transcendent, moving believer and non-believer alike to
wonder and awe, the seed-bed of prayer which is what we wanted from this space.
I challenged Niall to show us what my dream for this building looked like and his
astonishing achievement is to have succeeded quite beyond my wildest dreams.”
The Very Reverend Lister Tonge
Dean of Monmouth, Chaplain to the Sisters and, formerly, to the College
History
The Chapel has generously been funded by the Sisters of the Communities of St John
Baptist and the Good Shepherd who have recently moved from Begbroke Priory to
live in the College community. They write: “Our brief to the architect was for the
chapel to be foremost a place for the cultivation of personal prayer as well as of
public worship. We knew that what was needed was not just a building but a work of
art which would touch the spirit.”
A RIBA competition was held which set out the aspiration for a building of the
‘highest architectural quality’. A total of 126 architects from all over the world
applied to take part in the competition, but Niall McLaughlin’s scheme was the
unanimous choice of the Jury Panel. Chair of the Panel and RIBA architect adviser for
this competition David Morley said: “The relatively small scale of this project
contrasts with its major significance as an opportunity to set new standards for
liturgical design. The competition inspired wide interest from the UK and
internationally and the Ripon College community were bold in their openness to
consider un-traditional designs. McLaughlin’s proposal stood out because of the
depth of understanding and inspiration it demonstrated from a strategic to a
detailed level. The elliptical shape with its two focal points on the altar and lectern is
a brilliantly simple innovative response to the traditional ‘college’ configuration for a
chapel. This simple idea is just part of an approach that is both poetic – ‘the first
architectural image was of a buoyant, tethered boat’ – and technically sophisticated.
The College Principal, Revd Canon Prof.
Martyn Percy added: “The Chapel is the heart
of any worshipping community. This vision for
a new place of worship – with its use of light,
space, glass, wood and stone – really captures
our hope for the church and the world, and
for the shaping of religious and spiritual life.”
The Sisters’ added: “From a remarkable field,
Niall’s design not only stood out for its
intrinsic merits but also showed that in him
we have an architect who understands our
language and our dream for this chapel.
Architect Niall McLaughlin, who has also
worked on the Olympics accommodation and
various Oxford colleges, added “We had a
beautiful site, a thoughtful brief and a really
engaged client. We went back to first
principles, thinking of an appropriate setting
for prayer and community.”
Inspiration (taken from Niall McLaughlin Architect’s original proposal)
Lightenings viii
The annals say: when the monks of Clonmacnoise
Were all at prayers inside the oratory
A ship appeared above them in the air.
The anchor dragged along behind so deep
It hooked itself into the altar rails
And then, as the big hull rocked to a standstill,
A crewman shinned and grappled down the rope
And struggled to release it. But in vain.
'This man can't bear our life here and will drown,'
The abbot said, 'unless we help him.' So
They did, the freed ship sailed, and the man climbed back
Out of the marvellous as he had known it.
Seamus Heaney
“The word nave described the central space of a church, the place for the
congregation, but it shares the same origin as navis, a ship. We began our
conversation about the chapel with this word. It has four common and deeply
interliked meanings. Nave can mean the still centre of a turning wheel, the body of a
church, the navel, or a ship. The image of the wheel hub speaks of stillness amidst
movement. The navel speaks of origins, of things that grow out from the middle. All
of these go back to the oldest idea of making, or finding, a hollow place at the
centre.
Our first architectural image was of a buoyant, tethered boat. Many ships in the
Bible have been offered as the original nave. We thought of the one that held the
disciples on the Sea of Galilee with Jesus asleep resting on a cushion in the prow.
The community gathered in the chapel would mirror the expectant disciples.
The second architectural image is of people collecting together around a hollow in
the ground. This hollow would represent the still place of origin. The tethered boat
above would float above it, pulling up as if at sea. We talked about the feeling you
get when you fly a kite. You are drawn upwards yet your feet pull down to ground
you. It is this dual motion of cleaving to the earth and being lifted that we want the
building to communicate.”
Rev Canon Professor Martyn Percy talks about the building as a ship of souls, a
retake of an old idea contained in the Latin origin of the word "nave". Then again,
the ceiling above the timber branches dips slightly towards a central keel-like line
("carinated" is the technical term), as if there were another boat floating above,
which McLaughlin says is prompted by a 1,000-year-old Celtic story. He cites the
writings of Richard Sennett on early Christians who struggled to reconcile a desire to
wander, and give up fixed places, with the building of permanent churches. They
created ambulatories, zones of walking, like the one McLaughlin has made between
the ring of columns and the outer wall. Percy, for his part, talks about "the different
spiritual textures people have to live with", which the physical textures of the
building represent. For him it embodies a broad, moderate church, "not minimalist
Protestant and not (overly) Catholic". The idea is to create the sense an open, broad
and generous space that supports an open, broad and generous faith. So, the use of
an ellipse, a geometrical figure with two centres, allows worship to focus on either
the rituals of the Eucharist or on the spoken word: the altar is placed on one centre,
the lectern on the other. The seating plan is "antiphonal", with two banks of
congregation facing each other; the chapel's layout and acoustic also allows for
conversational rather than declamatory voices.
Edward King
Born in London in 1829, Edward King, both as a priest and then as a bishop, was
revered for the holiness of his life and the wisdom of his counsel. He was chaplain,
then principal, of Cuddesdon Theological College, followed by a dozen years as a
professor of theology in Oxford, during which time he exercised a great influence on
a generation of ordinands. In 1885, he was consecrated bishop of the diocese of
Lincoln, a position he held until his death. His advocacy of Catholic principles
involved him in controversy, but his significant gift to the Church was his example as
a pastoral and caring bishop to both clergy and laity.
Collect
God of peace,
who gave such grace to your servant Edward King
that whomever he met he drew to Christ:
fill us, we pray, with tender sympathy and joyful faith,
that we also may win others
to know the love that passes knowledge;
through him who is the shepherd and guardian of our souls,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Design
Aligned East to West, the Chapel is elliptical in plan providing a collegiate form of
worship with seating for up to 120. A dog-toothed stone façade surmounted by a
clerestory encircles the lofty and light interior. This rises to a height of 9.8m, with a
latticework of soaring timber columns and intricate vaulted ceiling. A horseshoe
shaped prayer room for the Sisters projects outwards from the main body of the
chapel, as does a smaller private prayer space and a niche for the Blessed
Sacrament. The sacristy opens off a small anteroom linked to the Chapel and
together with the main entrance a second point of entry passes beneath the
freestanding timber bell tower.
The new bell, cast at the Whitechapel Foundry, carries the inscription ‘Ut Unum Sint’
(May They Be One) to celebrate the coming together of the Begbroke and
Cuddesdon communities.
The external walls of the base of the Chapel are of Clipsham ashlar stonework
similar in colour to the existing buildings. In order to trace the curve of the ellipse,
each block needed to be cut to a slightly different shape, and extremely accurate
setting out was required. Above this, the wall is dressed in cropped walling stone,
laid to regular courses of dog-tooth bond. Quite possibly a first for any UK structure,
the height and curve of the wall as it follows the ellipse set a new challenge
especially for the stonemasons. Each stone had to be placed with millimetre
accuracy to ensure that all courses were exactly level and the vertical joints lined up.
The internal timber structure, which acts independently of the exterior wall,
incorporates a series of 12m tall glulam columns which rise up to support the
intricate interleafed timber framework and vaulted ceilings. This in turn supports
the roof which is connected to the main structure with 84 stainless steel T sections.
The sloping nature of the ceilings meant much of the plaster work had to be carried
out lying down - a skill that past church craftsmen would have been familiar with.
As well as a beautiful and functional place of worship, sustainable features are also
important to this striking 21st century Chapel, helped by extensive use of renewable
timber and natural stone. The use of under floor heating, solar shading and natural
ventilation via high level windows which open and close automatically, plus natural
lighting will all contribute to minimise running costs.
The collaboration achieved has delivered a wonderful iconic structure - a true focal
point for the College, which blends well with existing buildings to provide a calm
lofty cathedral-like space for reflection and prayer. Its completion in February 2013
marks the end of a major programme of expansion and consolidation of the
College’s buildings in order to meet the needs of ministerial formation and Christian
education in the 21st century.
The bishops of Oxford, Gloucester and Dorchester dedicated and blessed the
Edward King Chapel on Friday, 1st February 2013.
Awards
RIBA Stirling Prize Shortlist
RIBA National Award
Confederation of the British Building Industry. Best Building under £3million
RIBA South Region Building of the Year
RIBA South Regional Award
Wood Awards Gold Award
Wood Award Structural Category
Oxford Presentation Trust Award
“It is both thrilling and humbling that the Edward King Chapel continues to attract
such recognition and such prestigious awards at the highest level. The outstanding
vision of the architect, and the skilful craft of the builders, has truly re-shaped the
landscape of what can be done for contemporary church architecture. That such a
building is here, at Cuddesdon, continues to be a source of great celebration, and
not a little pride.”
Revd Canon Prof Martyn Percy, Principal
Prayer for the College
Everlasting God, ever adored by the holy angels,
yet choosing men and women to be the stewards
of your mysteries;
Bless, we pray, the work of the College,
And prosper the intentions of its founders;
That those, who cannot do any good without you,
may be won to godliness and love,
and illuminated with a true knowledge of your
Word and Sacraments;
And so, being made able ministers of your
new covenant,
may advance your glory,
and the salvation of your servants;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen