British designer John Pawson has collaborated with architecture studio Thomas Ford & Partners on the sensitive refurbishment of the St John at Hackney church in London.
The overhaul, which is Pawson's first church project in the UK, focuses on reinstating and accentuating the Grade II*-listed building's original design that was hidden by past renovations.
Above: the restored exterior of St John at Hackney. Top image: steps to the new sanctuary and stage
Pawson and Thomas Ford & Partners have also introduced a number of contemporary furnishings and facilities to the church, including a dark oak stage and sound system.
This is to better support the church's function as a place of worship but also an art space and events venue, which has seen it welcome the likes of Coldplay and Florence and the Machine in recent years. The updated entrance is now accessible by ramps
"The vision driving the refurbishment of this east London church was always of a

'cathedral of creativity', where architecture and people can come together in the richest ways possible, for a variety of purposes and activities, sacred and secular," said Pawson.
"As a designer, it is my belief that such creativity is stimulated and fostered both by the detail of a physical environment and by the character of its atmosphere."
The interiors have been stripped back to its original plan
St John at Hackney is the Anglican parish church of Hackney in east London. Its current form was designed...