Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/25/025

Address :
Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church Steelstown Road Londonderry BT48 8EU

Townland:
Londonderry

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
28/03/2003 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Church

Former Use
Church

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
26/12 NE

IG Ref:
C4433 2010

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Owner Category

Church - RC

Exterior Description And Setting

An ‘A’ form asbestos slated church with decreasing ridge levels gabled and mainly top lit in the modern style. The main entrance is in the N gable where the porch projects beyond the main gable plane. The double doors are placed off centre on the porch gable with one way sloping head which is in sympathy with the barge pitch. Doors, softwood, diagonally sheeted, stained dark blue. The gable is sheeted with timber stained red. The deep barges finished in horizontal courses of slates which carry down to within 150mm of paving level. There is a slight overhang. The main gable is similarly treated. The vertical stained timber cladding stops 150mm from paving level and creates a recessed plinth. The west elevation consists of 3 planes of roof with the ridge stepping down from S to N and the building receding in width in the same direction. The slating stops short of ground level by approximately 800mm (top of pew level) and continuous low level windows run the length of the church. Insitu concrete bases slope outwards to the pitch of roof and have a depth to the plane of the low level windows. These bases act as supports and counter the thrust of the inclined steel structure. The intervening area between glass and outer extent of bases is filled with loose cobbles, though originally intended to be sheet of water so that reflections would be seen within the nave. The step between each plane of the roof is slated. The long rooflight on the higher plane allows daylight to be reflected to the nave. The top ends of the concrete bases are decorated with paired volutes. The S gable (sanctuary end) is both splayed and inclined and entirely slated with a mitred joint where the inclined planes meet. A single exit is placed towards the S E corner. The E side of the church is more or less concealed from view. It consists of one single roof plane with a series of inclined rooflights providing reflected light to the E side of the nave. At both ends the roof continues downward to the low level windows as on the W side. The sacrament chapel and sacristies intervene to break the run of glazing. Since the church was opened a meeting room has been erected with a single pitch roof picking up the angle used on the church nave. A connecting passage joins the two. Originally the rooflights were formed of a plastic material called Filon but because of discolouration tinted double glass in aluminium frames was substituted. The church is sited close and parallel to the Steelstown Road. The ground rises a little above the footwalk and a low retaining wall is formed. Broad steps lead through an open steel portal arch, sloped to match church roof. The site enjoys a back cloth of mature planting formed in adjacent house gardens. Beyond the church is a Parochial House erected some 10 years ago.

Architects

McCormick, Tracey, Mullarkey

Historical Information

The church was commissioned by Bishop Edward Daly and completed in 1979. The architects were McCormick Tracey Mullarkey and the builder F O’Connor Ltd. The church is built of economic materials as the architect expressed the opinion that the building should be “socially correct”. This is a newly developed area with much local authority housing. The building was given a Civic Trust award in 1980. The meeting room was added in 1985 and the adjacent parochial house in 1989. The replacement roof glazing also dates from 1989. References Primary Sources 1. Files of McCormick Tracey Mullarkey

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form E. Spatial Organisation F. Structural System I. Quality and survival of Interior

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

This church is a good example of modern architecture illustrating the exciting but dignified forms that may be achieved with different structural approaches and new materials. The building contributes greatly to the urban form and interest of the Shantallow area which is an expanding part of the city. The setting of the church includes the lawn, paving, paths, steps and steel arch.

General Comments

Date of Survey

19 November 1999