One Mayfair Church

Former St Mark's Church, North Audley Street, Mayfair, London

One Mayfair Church, formerly known as St Mark's Church, is a Grade I listed building, in the heart of London's Mayfair district, at 13a North Audley Street.

Building history

St Mark's was built in 1825-28[1] in order to tackle the shortage of ‘church sittings’ in the area. At the time, the population in Mayfair had grown as a result of the demand for town houses by members of the aristocracy and the wealthy moving in from the country.[2][3] The building was constructed in the Greek revival style to the designs of John Peter Gandy. Gandy was highly regarded in Greek Revival architecture and produced most of his work in neo-classical designs, with Sr Mark's being one of the finest examples.

In 1878 Sir Arthur Bloomfield made significant changes to the church, including the addition of impressive timber roof, covering the main body of the structure, as well as extra features in gothic style. The 34 feet (10 m) façade, together with the elegant porch, is known as one of the finest in London. The church is now deconsecrated and has been included on English Heritage’s "Buildings at Risk" register for over 20 years.

Hammer Holdings Limited successfully applied for planning permission to convert the building into a 'wellness centre' in 2006, but a campaign led by Lady Sainsbury prevented this.[4] It was subsequently acquired by One Events in 2009 to as a mixed-use venue. In July 2014 the building was acquired by Grosvenor Estates.[5]

History as a place of worship

1939 - 1945

St Mark's became known as The American International Church acting as a centre for American worshippers. It was visited by both President Dwight Eisenhower and Eleanor Roosevelt.[6]

1950s & 1960s

The congregation dwindled and the church was declared redundant in 1974.

1975-1994

The church was abandoned'[7]

1994-2008

The Diocese of London allowed the use of the church by The Commonwealth Christian Fellowship led by Rod and Julie Anderson[8] who met there with a congregation of around 120 and provided an out-reach programme for anti-knife crime training for teenagers, home visits for elderly people and help for the homeless.[7]

2015

Between February and May 2015 the church hosted This Present House, as the first community in London with services every Sunday at 16:00.[9][10]

Other uses

The building has been used for other events in recent years. For example by Nike, The London Summer Show,[11] London Fashion Week and by Grosvenor Estates [12]

References

Coordinates: 51°30′47″N 0°09′12″W / 51.51308°N 0.15329°W / 51.51308; -0.15329

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