Matthew Lloyd Architects’ restoration of last surviving John Nash church completed in time for bicentenary

Matthew Lloyd Architects’ restoration of the last surviving Church designed by John Nash has been completed ahead of its 200th anniversary.

Nash was a leading architect of the Georgian and Regency eras.

All Souls Church in Langham Place, a landmark on the junction between Regent Street and Portland Place, central London, is opposite BBC Broadcasting House.

The Grade I-listed building is in striking Regency style with a slender conical spire rising above a rotunda made of Bath stone.

It was restored by contractor Quinn London over a 12 month period.

“It’s rare that a project involves scaffolding around a spire and it needed exceptionally detailed planning,” Nick Mole, project manager for Quinn London, said in a statement.

“It took more than three months to complete the scaffolding which extended from ground level to the top of the 71-metre spire.

“We added a temporary roof to protect the church roof during the works, and as there was no other space available, we incorporated storage space together with a temporary canteen on the gantry.”

The church remained open to thousands of worshippers throughout the year-long restoration project.

The Quinn London team consulted with the church’s neighbours, including BBC Broadcasting House, The Langham and Treehouse Hotel, and the Algerian Embassy.

All Souls stood for more than a century until a parachute mine exploded during the Blitz in 1940 causing the roof to collapse.

It closed for a decade before being restored in 1951. Further restoration and modification took place inthe 1970s.

Under the recent programme of restoration, a new slate roof lined in lead was installed. Existing flat copper roofs were replaced with lead to mirror the church’s original design.

All the external stonework was cleaned up and repaired, together with the worn and uneven front steps to the building.

A state-of-the-art external lighting scheme which can switch colours has been installed around the spire and portico.

The original building was finished in 1824. The restoration is complete in time for Bicentenary celebrations planned for next year.

Nash is remembered now for his work on Buckingham Palace, Regent’s Park and Regent Street in London as well as for redesigning the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.