Chichester Community Development Trust Graylingwell Chapel Feasibility Study
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Chichester Community Development Trust Graylingwell Chapel Feasibility Study Adam Richards Architects May 2017 1 2 01.00 Introduction Fig 1 Aerial Image of Graylingwell Chapel 1. 3 01.00 Introduction 01.01 Contents Page 01.00 Introduction 06.00 Conservation 01.01 Contents Page Section provided by Robin Nugent 01.02 Foreword/ Executive Summary Architects. 01.03 Project Aims 07.00 Sustainability 02.00 Analysis WEST END WINDOW 07.01 Design Approach 02.01 Landscape and Planning Context 02.02 Listings and Significance 02.03 The Site: Above the main entrance to the chapel week in the chapel, and there was Access, Constraints & Organisation – at the west end – is another large a Sunday morning service with 02.04 Photographic Survey External stained glass window. This window sermon. Confirmation services were 02.05 Photogrcommemoratesaphic Survey Graylingwell’s Internal time held, with both staff and patients as a war hospital from May 1915 being confirmed, and there were 03.00 Designto BriefApril 1919. The total cost of the occasional adult baptisms. At least window was £235 17s, all raised by two funeral services took place: for private subscription. the 36 year old wife of the hospital’s 03.01 Client Brief engineer, and for a 26 year old 1. The text at the bottom reads: “To the American airman who crashed at 04.00 Architecturalglory of God Conceptand in honoured memory Slindon and died at Graylingwell. of the officers, N.C.O.’s and men who 04.01 Design diedStatement/Planning at Graylingwell, and ofFeedback the The chapel was decorated at Easter, members of staff who fell in action; Harvest Festival and Christmas. 04.02 Adjacenciesalso in grateful record of the fortitude On Christmas Eve the choir visited 04.03 Overalland Layout cheerfulness of all those who the wards, singing carols. On Good 04.04 Alternativeoccupied Layout: the wards Auditorium in this Hospital Friday 1916 an ‘excellent programme during the Great War 1914-1919.” of vocal and instrumental music’ 05.00 Breakdown of Elements was enjoyed, including ‘Oh for the Nearly 29,500 patients from Britain, wings of a dove’. Australia, New Zealand and Canada 05.01 Entrancewere and treated Canopy at Graylingwell War A special service of prayer and 05.02 NarthexHospital. There were 142 deaths, thanksgiving was held on the 05.03 Memorsomey Cafe men being removed by their morning of 12 November 1918, the 05.04 WCs andfamilies, Cloaks and the remainder being day after the Armistice was declared. 05.05 Meetingburied Room in a specially designated area in Chichester Cemetery. Flowers The large windows at the east and 05.06 Quiet Space/were sent Offices weekly from the hospital west end were dedicated by the Fig 1 05.07 Interactivegrounds Play for Area the graves. Bishop of Lewes at a service in Stone detail within chancel. 05.08 Artefact Alley February 1919. Fig 2 05.09 Main SpaceDuring World War 1, Holy Communion The West-End stained glass window 05.10 Interpretationwas celebrated in Main three Space times each commemorating Graylingwell’s history as a war hospital between 1915-1919. 05.11 Visualisation of Main Space Source: Graylingwell Chapel: Stained Glass and 05.12 Interpretation Screen WWII, Katherine Slay. 05.13 Chancel: Interpretation and Exhibition Space 2. 2 01.00 Introduction 01.02 Foreword/ Executive Summary Graylingwell is a fascinating place: the psychiatric hospital built here in the late 19th century was renowned for its progressive approaches to mental health issues, and before the arrival of the hospital the site was a farm, lived in during the mid-19th century by the author of Black Beauty, Anna Sewell, whilst traces of Saxon habitation have also been detected. The closure of the hospital and the development of its site and neighbouring sites to create a significant new residential district in north Chichester has raised the issue of the need for new social facilities to 4. serve this large new community. The choice of the former hospital chapel building as the site for these facilities is a 1. wonderful opportunity to create a Heritage asset for community use – one that restores and cherishes a listed building and that tells the story of people who have often been placed outside the community. Telling the stories of its patients and staff offers an opportunity to address the stigma that is still sometimes associated with mental health issues. The overriding intention is to convert Graylingwell Chapel to its new uses in a way that conserves and enhances its character as a listed building. This will mean restoring its fabric to a level that makes it ‘sing’ again as a piece of architecture, and a place to nurture the spirit. The spaces chosen for the new uses have been selected for functional Fig 1. reasons, but also in a way that complements St Jerome in his study, Antonello da Messina. the feel of the chapel, and works with the logic of its original layout. The aim is to deliver Fig 2. Graylingwell chapel, view towards chancel. a Heritage Hub that is warm, welcoming and Source: Graylingwell Chapel: Stained Glass and comfortable; useful, practical and meaningful. WWII, Katherine Slay. A high quality of design is intended to be applied throughout. 2. 3 01.00 Introduction 01.03 Project Aims Chichester Community Development Trust aims to transform Graylingwell Chapel into a new heart for this large new community. The project aims to conserve the historic fabric of the chapel whilst sensitively converting it for mixed community uses. These uses should become an asset to the area, and more widely, helping to create an inclusive place to which people of all ages and backgrounds are drawn. The intention is to incorporate exhibitions and interpretation about the history of the site and its association with mental health. By carefully curating a programme of activities and events, raising the issues of mental health, the project aims to address the stigma that is associated with this topic. These events and exhibitions will be co-curated with those with mental health issues drawing on the experience of people still on the Graylingwell site and also working with organisations in 1. Chichester who support mental health issues. The building’s programme will be all inclusive and cater for all ages of the community. By making a community visible to itself it becomes possible to help build that community and build resilience within it. This is the core aim of the Graylingwell Chapel project: making a space for a creative, cohesive community. Graylingwell Chapel is the only remaining public building left on the hospital site and its historic close links to the well-being of patients alongside its architectural significance Fig 1. makes it an ideal location to convey the story Aerial image of Chichester with the site highlighted of Graylingwell Hospital. in Red Fig 2. Aerial view of the Graylingwell Chapel within the grounds of the Historic Park and Hospital. 2. 4 02.00 Analysis Fig 1. The notings of Richard Napier, a 17th century doctor who explored different forms of madness and recorded a variety of treatments Source: This Way Madness Lies, Mike Jay 5 02.00 Analysis 02.01 Landscape and Planning Context The Graylingwell site, along with the neighbouring Rousillon site and other proposed developments forms part a significant new tranche of residential development in north Chichester. Whilst central Chichester is a thriving city, the residents of the new housing at Graylingwell will be in need of community facilities, of which there are currently very few, and of limited capacity. 1. Graylingwell Chapel is situated at the heart 4. of these developments, and, as a former chapel, now the only public amenity on the The Masterplan illustrated here was presented at the last Graylingwell Forum on 11 June. The masterplan has continued to be developed since the Community Planning Weekend in March site, its form is one already associated with Mixed Uses 2008 and the design team is still working on the more detailed aspects of the scheme in advance a social focus and yet it is intrinsically linked of an Outline Planning Application in August. to the history of the site, the mental hospital Masterplan The blue boundary illustrated shows and the well-being of patients. It is therefore the extent of the phase 1 development (the site of the Harold Kidd unit and ideally placed to communicate this story. The Pinewood House are not within the landholdings). The yellow line indicates building ideally lends itself to conversion to a the current settlement boundary and development shown to the east of this heritage centre, educating people about the line will not form part of the Outline 2. Planning Application. history of the site, addressing mental health This plan shows the mixed uses issues and providing a mixed use community proposed for the site. These uses are broadly in line with those which 5 facility. evolved during the Community Planning Weekend and further work is being 3 6 undertaken to better understand the viability of some of these uses and to 7 seek end users. 2 The Chapel is located within the Graylingwell 1 The layouts of the new residential 4 Park, a Conservation Area that contains two development are being worked on in more detail in parallel with the development of landscape proposals Grade II listed buildings, (including the chapel) focusing on retaining as many trees as possible and enhancing and enriching the a Scheduled Monument and 472 protected landscape character of the development. trees. 8 3. JTP Architects have developed a mix-use Key: 9 1. Cafe & Changing Facilities (interim 11 developments masterplan involving the use as Sales Centre) 2.