St Mary of the Angels, Wellington

St Mary of the Angels
Location 27 Boulcott Street, Wellington
Country New Zealand
Denomination Catholic
Architecture
Architect(s) Frederick de Jersey Clere
Years built 1922
Administration
Parish Wellington Central
Diocese Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington
Designated 8 September 1984[1]
Reference no. 36

St Mary of the Angels is a Catholic church on the corner of Boulcott Street and O'Reily Avenue in Wellington, New Zealand. It is the parish church for Wellington Central.

The building is classified as a Category I ("places of 'special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value'") historic place by Heritage New Zealand.[1] The current building was opened in 1922, and is the third church built on the Boulcott Street site.[2]

Plans for the church were prepared by architect Frederick de Jersey Clere in 1919. Architecturally, the design is traditional Gothic of French influence. Also innovative in that it is 'the first occasion ferro-concrete was used for a church of Gothic design'.[1] It is built of reinforced concrete and brick with a timber roof supported by concrete arches with steel tie rods.

The church was closed following the July 2013 Seddon earthquake and the August 2013 Lake Grassmere earthquake sequence for structural strengthening. The church had been assessed as being between 15%-20% of the standard a new building would be built to. In New Zealand, buildings assessed as below 33% of standard are considered 'earthquake prone' and strengthening is required or a compulsory demolition can be ordered. Over $7 million has been raised towards the strengthening of the building, with fundraising continuing to raise the remaining $2.5 million required to fully restore it.

The church re-opened in April 2017 after earthquake strengthening costing $9.5 million.[3] [4] [5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "St Mary of the Angels Church (Catholic)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  2. ↑ History of "St Mary of the Angels," St Mary of the Angel's Parish (Retrieved 21 December 2014)
  3. ↑ Forbes, Michael (9 January 2016). "Wellington's St Mary of the Angels Church refit could show Christchurch the way". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "St Mary of the Angels church reopens after $95m quake strengthening". Stuff (Fairfax Media). 12 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Inside the earthquake strengthening of St Marys". Stuff (Fairfax Media). 7 April 2017.

Coordinates: 41°17′19.57″S 174°46′25.93″E / 41.2887694°S 174.7738694°E / -41.2887694; 174.7738694


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