The Eric Liddell Centre was a competition winning entry for the conservation and conversion of the redundant B-listed North Morningside Parish Church into a local community centre founded in memory of the Olympic gold medallist. The owners are a care charity, set up by the four congregations of the local churches, who work to provide alternative services to vulnerable people including those with dementia.

The project involved a radical intervention within the protected church nave to provide the required accommodation; creatively inserting a bold new structure within the existing building to create a reception, café, offices and flexible new rooms and suites that are available to hire to generate income and therefore ensure the project’s long-term future. GRAS and the structural engineers collaborated closely on this significant intervention, which additionally allows for closer enjoyment of the fine William Wilson stained glass windows, to ensure that the external shell of the building and the local conservation area remained unaffected by the development. All of the existing fabric of the building, including the glazing, was also carefully conserved and repaired as part of the grant-funded works. This marriage of imaginative reuse, conservation and upgrading has created a successful community hub that is welcoming, practical to manage and sustainable.