Church of Saint Thomas’ - Newcastle upon Tyne
The Church of St Thomas the Martyr is a prominent landmark in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The church is a 19th-century Anglican re-foundation of a medieval chapel, and it has recently undergone a major renovation. As part of this renovation, the church floors were totally removed and rebuilt, and new partitions were inserted to create meeting rooms and other spaces in the former aisles of the church. The historic 19th-century carved bench seating was also completely removed and replaced with stackable chairs.
One of the most striking features of the renovated church is the walk-in font, which we had the pleasure of supplying the anti-slip mosaic tiles for. The font, dug in the shape of a Celtic cross, features blue glass mosaic tiles on the floor, walls, and steps, with golden glass tiles used in the very centre to create a cross detail. The steps on either side of the font are designed to symbolize the person stepping out of their old life and into their new life. To finish the font, a surround of underlit glass panels have been added to illuminate the feature. This walk-in font is a stunning addition to St Thomas' Church, especially since it didn't have a font before.
In addition to the font, the church also repurposed, restored, or moved around existing material to retain the important heritage features of the building. The pews were recycled into new furniture, the impressive Victorian Minton tiling was restored, and the church's old oak panelling was reused to create two side rooms on the ground floor. One room will serve as an eco-friendly refill shop, selling ethically sourced coffee and encouraging less use of plastic packaging, while the other will be a youth work space.
The balconies, which previously had tiered pews, have been adapted into two fresh hall spaces, separated from the nave by elegant panels of glass. One side will house an open-planned office for the growing team of staff, and the other will be a conference and learning space, both acoustically separated from the congregation below. The aim of the renovation was to improve accessibility, aesthetics, and the environmental impact of the space. The church team worked alongside designers Doonan Architects and tiling contractors W Rodgerson & Sons to ensure that all of these spaces were expertly designed, attentively installed, accessible and energy-efficient.
The renovation of the Church of St Thomas the Martyr in Newcastle upon Tyne has been an outstanding success. The church has been transformed into a fluid, community-oriented space that can now facilitate 400 people for a service. The addition of the walk-in font, as well as the eco-friendly refill shop and youth workspace, demonstrate the church's commitment to both tradition and innovation. We are proud to have supplied the anti-slip mosaic tiles for the walk-through church font, which is now a stunning and essential feature of this historic church.
To discover more about our extensive range of commercial tiles or to request samples, contact one of our experienced specification managers on: Telephone: 0800 021 4835 | Email: info@ctdarchitecturaltiles.co.uk