Buttress Architects | Cathedral Church of St Anne

St Anne’s is a city centre Roman Catholic Cathedral in Leeds. Built in 1904 the church is a late Victorian gothic building with arts and crafts influences; seen particularly on the internal style and detailing.

Buttress undertook a significant reordering project at St Annes, cleaning and restoring the interior, laying a new stone floor with underfloor heating, designing and installing a new lighting scheme, and designing new congregational and liturgical furniture. Our designs respond to the arts and crafts influences creating a new style that reflects and sits with the original without mimicking it.
Reordering

The design is focused on the relocated Sanctuary with the new altar at its centre and visible by as many worshippers as possible at the heart of the church. The new Ambo and Cathedra are close by and together clearly form the liturgical group.

Principal detailing adopted by Eastwood elsewhere in the building is referenced in a contemporary manner with each of the new elements designed using a simple vocabulary of stone and oak.

The new lighting system coupled with the cleaned stonework and redecorated walls and ceilings create a brighter, more welcoming interior.
Pugin Reredos

Specialist paint restoration experts worked alongside us to reveal and help design the interior decorative schemes. A separate grant was given for the restoration of the gothic Pugin Reredos in the Lady Chapel which has been restored to its full glory.
Confessionals

New confessionals that allow both the traditional form and face-to-face confession have been created.
RIBA White Rose Awards 2008: Gold Conservation Award
Manchester Society of Architects Awards 2008: Commended in the restoration category
The Leeds Architecture Awards 2007: Restored Building Award

Reordering

Pugin Reredos

Confessionals