St Mary's Old Convent Chapel by Salmond Reed Architects

St Mary’s Convent Chapel

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St Mary’s Old Covent Chapel was designed by Edward Mahoney and built in Ponsonby in 1865-66 as the first purpose-built chapel by the Sisters of Mercy in New Zealand. Salmond Reed Architects led a full external restoration of this Category A Gothic Revival chapel, working alongside specialist craftsmen to undertake numerous timber repairs, restoration of the beautiful lead light stained glass windows and reinstating the heritage colour scheme.

St Mary’s Old Covent Chapel was designed by Edward Mahoney and built in Ponsonby in 1865-66 as the first purpose-built chapel by the Sisters of Mercy in New Zealand. Read more

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Salmond Reed Architects have worked closely with our clients, the McAuley Trust since 2022 to undertake a thorough conditions survey of the chapel and put together a detailed specification of heritage timber repairs and external repainting of the chapel.

From our condition survey, we found that the chapel was in poor condition with missing, peeling and cracked paint, and deteriorating external timber joinery.

A detailed paint analysis was undertaken on site, alongside a desktop study of historic images to determine the likely original colours of the building. The highest priority was given to authenticity and retaining the integrity and heritage value of the place. The Chapel was therefore repainted as close as possible to what we may assume was the original colour scheme of 1865-66, using a specialist linseed oil paint system.

The project included the specialist repair and restoration of the stained and painted lead light windows. Prior to repair, the lead light windows were in poor condition with previous unsightly silicone repairs, unsuitable glass replacements, cracked glass, disintegrated lead, and rust throughout the steel support bars.

Salmond Reed Architects worked closely with lead light specialists A Touch of Glass to painstakingly repair these significant heritage windows and fully document the process for archival records. Unique built-in heritage pews required temporary removal and refitting by a specialist heritage carpenter to allow for access to the lead lights. Great care was taken to design and fabricate bespoke brass cleats with a bronze patina to support new external glazing to protect the repaired lead lights.

The existing cross, which was previously unstable and had been removed for safety, was reinstalled with significant strengthening between the cross and the existing steeple.