Three years since the completion of Eric Parry Architects project at St John’s Waterloo
18 November 2025 – James McNeill
To mark three years since the completion of our project at St John’s Waterloo, I wanted to share a few brief highlights from the conservation and refurbishment process.
Masonry
After the initial phase of demolition within the crypt, the original 1824 brickwork groin vaults were revealed. Building on restoration techniques utilised on previous EPA projects, such as St Martin-in-the-Fields, we began exploring the most appropriate methods to bring the brickwork back to life.
The challenge was to carefully remove layers of later finishes, surface treatments, and years of accumulated dust and grime — all while respecting the fabric’s integrity and historic character. Through careful testing and refinement, the brickwork was restored in a way that allowed the material’s age and authenticity to remain visible.
Paint Colour Selection
A key part of the project was creating a paint scheme that balanced St John’s layered history with improved visual coherence. Guided by paint analysis and historical research, the design carefully maintains and enhances both the 1950s post-war interior and the church’s original Georgian character. The approach favours refinement over replacement, aligning proportions within the space while preserving mid-century decorative details.
Careful selections of calibrated tones and colour ensure the conserved Feibusch murals remain vibrant and visually prominent within a cohesive architectural setting, including the new sanctuary screens.
Sanctuary Screens
What began as lines on trace has become a series of bold insertions that refocuses attention toward the east end and frames the restored Hans Feibusch murals. The screens re-establish proportions lost when the galleries were destroyed during World War II and counter the horizontal pull of the east end. Their vertical rhythm lifts the eye, lending a renewed sense of elevation and focus, while subtle porosity adds depth and intrigue.
Designed with reversibility in mind, the screens respect the building’s history and ongoing conservation, demonstrating how contemporary interventions can coexist with heritage.
From sketches and models to CAD, drawings, mock-ups, and installation — a collaboration between design and craftsmanship.
