We were engaged by Nofit State to renovate their new Cardiff hub – in the Grade II listed Four Elms church that had fallen into disrepair. We worked in tandem with clients’ existing design team. With enabling works carried out before our work started (demolition, site clearing, asbestos removal etc.) we completed repairs, alterations, extension and conversion of the existing building to create a circus workshop and training facility, with associated office accommodation for the Nofit State Circus.

Working in a listed building and converting it for a modern use was a wonderful challenge. We spent the initial few weeks cataloguing the existing interior, as numerous removed items required reinstating after refurbishment works, with an agreed scope of repairs and replacement with CADW.

We stripped the roof and completed structural repairs to existing timbers, then reroofed using salvaged and reclaimed clay tiles, with extensive lead work and stone repairs.

Internally, we strengthened the gallery and stripped the floor, keeping the materials for future re-use. We cast new foundations to support the new steel structure in place to secure4 the roof and the new performance, while acting as a diaphragm to pull the building together (a technique which earned engineers Mann Williams the shortlisted for ICE Engineering Project of the Year).

We demolished the adjoining vestry and extended the building with a contemporary steel frame, clad in blockwork, render and glass block – creating new offices, welfare areas and changing facilities.

We installed suitable mechanical and electrical installations for modern use. Externally, we cleaned the existing stonework and installed external illumination. Inside we installed theatre lighting rigs, PA systems, IT & Data systems.

We worked diligently to restore the features of the old church to their former glory, while providing a welcoming, safe and modern environment for the client and their customers. The challenges faced were summarised eloquently by Kevin Sutton, conservation architect of Davies Sutton Architects, said: “This was certainly a commission with a difference. It’s not often you are presented with the challenge of making a trapeze work within a listed former place of worship. The new steel structure housed within the historic structure is incredible and heralds a renaissance for what was a dilapidated empty space.”