PLACES OF WORSHIP

WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL FLEURY BUILDING

The Fleury Building is the first significant extension to Winchester Cathedral in 500 years and named after Fleury Abbey at St-Benôit-sur-Loire in France to celebrate the links between these two ancient Benedictine foundations.

"A new building attached to the Cathedral is much more than a very useful and practical extension, it is evidence of the continuing growth and life of the Cathedral and its Community", says The Very Revd James Atwell, who is Dean of Winchester.  "Over the centuries the building and its community have adapted to the needs of a new generation and this continues in the present day."

The single storey building at the return of the north transept and north presbytery aisle provides essential 'back room' facilities for the Cathedral including an efficient new boiler room, replacing the remote facility in the Wessex Hotel, a store room, lavatories, flower room and pastoral areas.

The new building is intentionally retiring and self-effacing so as not to interfere with the serene north elevations of the eastern arm of the Cathedral.

However, this apparent simplicity inevitably necessitated careful planning, thorough pre-construction investigation, imaginative design and rigorous project management by the whole team to minimise impacts on the historic fabric and archaeology.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the project is the removal of the ad-hoc flower room and storage area from the north transept to allow this wonderful Norman space to be appreciated without clutter for the first time in many years.