Arcus were appointed as Architects to undertake RIBA Stages 1-4 of the refurbishment of the existing Victorian chapel building at Redan Road Cemetery for Rushmoor Borough Council. The Chapel had fallen into a state of disrepair and was not being used, other than for storage of equipment for the grounds maintenance team.
The disused chapel was proposed as a venue for holding funeral services for Aldershot Crematorium, whilst it was closed for complete refurbishment. This offered a sustainable solution for a temporary facility to hold services for a 12 month period, following which it was to be available for use as a community facility.
The chapel building is split into two parts, joined by a roof but separated by an access road. The main requirement was for the chapel to be able to accommodate 60 No. people in one space for the services, and to be able provide further ancillary accommodation including toilets, office accommodation and a waiting room. Arcus prepared designs, with costs, to demonstrate the chapel could meet Rushmoor Borough Council’s requirements and these formed the basis of the proposed works. Other options for the temporary facility were considered, including a temporary marquee but these were costly and not as sustainable. Refurbishment of the Redan Road chapel provided investment into an existing building, reusing and ultimately repurposing it, to give it an extended life.
The works also incorporated external improvements to the building, including the roof, windows, doors and render repairs. Internally, one half of the chapel was refurbished to host the services, reusing the old church pews which had been left from it’s original use. The other half was subdivided to provide a fully accessible toilet, second toilet, office accommodation for the staff from Aldershot Crematorium and a waiting room. A gallery space was also introduced for additional storage.