Christchurch

Due to a dwindling congregation, this former Church of Ireland was deconsecrated in the early 1990s and, after lying redundant for several years, suffered severe fire damage in 1996.

Built as a ‘free church’ in 1833 to the designs of the Dublin architect William Farrell, its future was secured by the intervention of the Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust who, in partnership Royal Belfast Academical Institution, have restored and adapted the building for use as a library and IT Centre of Excellence.

The body of the church has been divided by a new floor, while the intricate timber ceiling has been spectacularly recreated from the photographs. The project has won a series of awards from across the British Isles.