St Luke's, Old Street
| St Luke's Old Street | |
|---|---|
2006 photo
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| Location | Old Street, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England (Deconsecrated) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1773 |
| Dedication | St Luke |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Preserved Used as concert venue by the LSO |
| Architect(s) | John James and Nicholas Hawksmoor |
| Years built | 1727-1773 |
| Closed | 1964 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | London |
St Luke's is a historic Anglican church building in the London Borough of Islington. It is now a music centre operated by the London Symphony Orchestra and known as LSO St Luke's. It is the home of the LSO's community and music education programme, LSO Discovery. The main body of the church seats up to 372 and is used by the LSO for rehearsals, and by a wide variety of musicians for performances and recording. Additional rooms in the crypt provide practice facilities for professional musicians, students and community groups.
The church is sited on Old Street, north of the City of London, and was built to relieve the church of St Giles-without-Cripplegate, Cripplegate, under the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches, an attempt to meet the religious needs of London's burgeoning 18th century population. It was completed and the corresponding parish of St Luke's created in 1733.
The church was designed by John James, though the obelisk spire, a most unusual feature for an Anglican church, the west tower and the flanking staircase wings were by Nicholas Hawksmoor. It stood in the historically marshy Moorfields area, and from an early date suffered from problems of subsidence.
Buried in the small churchyard are architect George Dance the Elder, at one time a member of the vestry, and in a chest tomb, father and son type founders William Caslon.
The parish was reunited with St Giles in 1959 and the font and organ case from St Luke's was moved there. The church was closed by the Church of England Diocese of London in 1964 after subsidence made it unsafe, and it lay empty. The roof was removed two years later for safety reasons and the shell became a dramatic ruin for 40 years, overgrown with trees, despite being a Grade I listed building.
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