Case Study Church of the Most Holy Redeemer Clonard Belfast Project Architect: Consarc Conservation Architects Main Contractor: Killowen Contracts Tiling Contractor: Armatile
Introduction The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer at Clonard Monastery is situated just off the Falls Road in West Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a centre for unity and reconciliation with a mission to deliver a Ministry of Ecumenism and Peace. The Church is administered by the Redemptorist Fathers, with the current Superior being Fr Michael Murtagh. One hundred years after holding its first service in 1911 the decision was taken to renovate and restore the Sanctuary, Nave and back altars of the church. While not a parish church, Clonard is held in high esteem as a centre for importance in the faith lives of the people of Belfast and beyond for its compassionate apostolate of mediation and reconciliation.
Case Background One hundred years after holding its first service in 1911 the decision was taken to renovate and restore the Sanctuary, Nave and back altars of the church. The nave and main altar floors were completely removed. The original floors of the sanctuary and rear altar areas (including the baptismal font area) were repaired and renovated, maintaining their integrity. Images of Church prior to restoration work
Clonard is of such an historical and ecclesiastical importance we were asked to utilise all our experience and knowledge to overcome some of complex issues associated with; Manufacturing a complex floor designed to the Architects exacting specifications Replacing segments of flooring on the back Altars and Sanctuary without comprising the integrity of the section Refurbishing the marble steps of the Church Sanctuary
Main Floor The main floor of the church consisted of over 450 square metres of tiles. There were over 30 individual, intricately designed patterns. The panels repeatedly interlocked to form the aisles and borders of the main floor. All of these components were designed, cut and created in our factory using water-jet machinery. The individual small pieces were assembled on mesh mounted sheets in the factory to reduce laying time on site. On site, these mosaic sheets were further complemented with over 300m2 of 300x300mm white porcelain tiles in the seating areas of the church.
Central Aisle The central aisle of Clonard Monastery was designed to incorporate design in floors and ornate stain glass windows of the original build. These decorative designs form a beautiful walkway that link the rear and main alters. They include a mix of plain tiles and specially produced waterjet cut pieces cut and created using water-jet machinery.
Decorative Curved Borders The curved border was integral to the project inter-locking all the decorative aspects within the church. It was made up of individual pieces cut from porcelain tiles and mounted on to mesh for ease on fitting on site. The border was designed have interlocking sheets that repeat while simultaneously curving to complement the main altars. Each sheet was numered and test laid to a template in the factory facility prior to being transported to site to ensure accuracy for ease of installation. All of these features were, programmed, managed and created using our water-jet technology.
Ensuring Integrity without Compromise The beautiful marble steps of the semicircular Sanctuary had, for many years, been covered with carpet. Armatile expertly removed the marble steps and risers intact. Each piece was identified with a numbering system and removed from site for preservation and refurbishment. Before The area then had to be re-cased exactly to a template of the marble steps. The marble was brought back to life by refabricating and polishing. The pieces were then replaced and re-polished on site. The Sanctuary steps provide an amazing focal point of the church. During After
Ensuring Integrity without Compromise Technologies in itself do not provide the complete service. The process of identifying alternatives to the original materials used and being aware of how these will react to the environment, and various treatments they will be subject to over time, has been gained through considerable experience in this area of conservation and restoration.
Importance of Quality Control Each of the special pieces on each sheet had to be programmed, individually waterjet cut and partially assembled before being laid out on test floor sections prior to going to site. Each section of floor was then coded, labelled and packed separately to facilitate ease of sorting and fitting. This step by step process was essential to quality control and ease of streaming from tiles to production then on to site and fitting.
Conclusion We have a understanding and working knowledge of Conservation and restoration projects. They require a wholly different approach to other commercial contracts. As in Clonard, the maintenance of the buildings original features are the primary. Our modern cutting technologies, knowledge and experience provides two solutions; Firstly, the ability to effectively reproduce old designs that, in many cases, are indistinguishable from the original. Secondly, the ability to manufacture uniquely designed floor patterns while being aware of the particular protocols and sensitivities associated with this type of contract.
Conclusion All material manufactured in the UK by: Armatile Station Road Industrial Estate Loughgall Road Armagh BT61 7NP 028 37527007 (Head office) 0207 1111 613 (London Office) design@armatile.com www.armatilearchitectural.com