Holy Trinity Swiss Cottage

The Lighthouse, designed by Haworth Tompkins for Holy Trinity Swiss Cottage, is a radical departure from a conventional church building.

Sitting on a constrained, busy site in Swiss Cottage, London, the ambitious plans accommodate a 500-seat worship and performance space, a large gym, a street café, rehearsal and meeting rooms, teaching and study spaces, offices, sheltered accommodation for vulnerable people and staff housing.

The main street façade is a variation of the ecclesiastical rose window, which precisely mirrors the vaulted ceiling geometry of the central worship space. The façade is multi-layered, incorporating a series of shaded internal ‘solar chimneys’ which will naturally ventilate the internal spaces via the cooler, shaded façades without the need for opening windows onto the busy traffic thoroughfare of Finchley Road.

This complex project is the result of detailed investigation and consultation alongside a committed and ambitious client.