PRESS

INFORMATION

Newsdesk From: Christine Doyle To:

Date: Friday 5th June 2015 Tel: 07769 738180

Coventry Cathedral appoints Kelley Christ as its new Architect

With new conservation and repair projects in the pipeline, the Dean and Chapter of Coventry Cathedral have appointed Kelley Christ as the Architect to oversee the on-going conservation and care of the fabric of the medieval Ruins and 20th century Cathedral by Sir Basil Spence.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Kelley Christ to the Cathedral team as she brings with her a wealth of experience of working with not only ancient buildings such as Southwark Cathedral but also modern structures such as St Paul’s, Bow Common, where at both she delivered important grant-aided projects for fabric repair,” commented the Very Reverend John Witcombe, Dean of Coventry, “We have some unique challenges ahead of us such as exploring a use for the medieval crypts to the repair and conservation of the contemporary chapels if the new Cathedral where the exterior concrete is failing, so there is a great deal of work to be done.”

The care of the Cathedral’s buildings is one of the largest expenditures that the Dean and Chapter work to fund. There were celebratory events recently as the Cathedral completed an eight year project to restore the exterior walls to the Ruins and completed the first phase of the conservation of Sutherland’s great tapestry which covers the entire north wall of the new Cathedral. All of these projects are overseen by the Cathedral Architect.

“I am thrilled to be working with the team at Coventry Cathedral at a time when an exciting new vision for the precinct is emerging,” commented Kelley, “There will be some conservation challenges in connection with the fabric repairs to both the Ruins and the Spence’s Cathedral, but equally these present a great opportunity to help re-present the history and significance of these buildings and their site not just to Coventry but internationally. I am looking forward to getting started.”

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Notes to Editors

Biography: Kelley Christ B Arch (Hons 1A) MA Cons (Dist) AABC RIBA SCA Kelley is co-founder of practice A&RMÉ Ltd following over eight years with specialist conservation practice Purcell UK, and four and a half years within the Modern Conservation Sector of Avanti Architects. She is passionate about the care and conservation of both modern and historic buildings and has been involved with projects at some of the nation’s most important heritage sites including Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral Precinct, Knole House, and iconic modern buildings: the Isokon Flats in Lawn Road and the Battersea Power Station.

Her passion for working with Cathedrals and their precincts was ignited by several years assisting Martin Stancliffe, Surveyor Emeritus of St Paul’s Cathedral, and she has good working knowledge of both the Care of Cathedral’s Measure 1999 and Amendment of 2005, and the funding streams available to cathedrals.

An enthusiastic and ‘hands-on’ architect, Kelley has extensive experience delivering challenging projects from inception to completion. Her skills and experience cover a broad spectrum: ranging from strategic planning of complex and sensitive sites, to solving technical problems at a detail level. She is also adept at preparing documents essential to the longer-term management of listed buildings such as Conservation Management Plans, Forward Maintenance Plans and more specific policies and guidance on individual materials such as stone and concrete.

In addition to her appointment as Cathedral Architect to Southwark, Kelley is the Inspecting Architect to a number of modern listed churches within the London and Southwark Dioceses, including Bob Maguire and Keith Murray’s seminal St Paul’s Church, Bow Common of 1959-60 which was recently awarded Best Modern Church in the UK (of the last 60 years) by the National Churches Trust, Twentieth Century Society and Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyor’s Association.

Her current appointments to significant listed churches which were re-builds or extensions to earlier churches destroyed or significantly damaged during the Second World War including:  St Paul’s, Bow Common 1959-60 Maguire and Murray Grade II.  St Giles, Cripplegate, Grade 1  The Former Trinity Methodist Church, Grade II  St Mary’s Islington, Grade II  St James, Clapham, Grade II