St. Anne’s Soho church is an extraordinary place for community and social gathering. It is a place, where people can feel comfortable, safe and which is open for everyone, every person, every gender and every living creature. We wanted to enhance the feeling of strong community and feel at home, with the warm and welcoming entrance, would be both inviting and atmospheric. The entrance would act as a threshold between the vibrant SOHO community and the place where a person would be able to still their mind and disappear into moment of tranquillity and connection with God.
The existing corridor has been divided into two parts: first the space right behind the gate, which would act as a ‘welcome room’ / ‘living room’ where people could sit together, talk and interact. That is a place where families, friends and friends of the church could meet afterwards or before the service. The place would also act as a space where SOHO community or just usual passers by could sit and have a rest.
The other part of the entrance is the actual corridor, that would become a warm and inviting space, where specific design of the timber cladding would navigate a person and his view into the church. It would be a space where people could put their memories, souvenirs, wishes or show the gratefulness to God. Little windows arranged on different heights and places would allow people to do it. Through the use of light people would be automatically navigated to the interiors.