Hull Minster, Hull

2025 RIBA Yorkshire Award

Culture & entertainment
Bauman Lyons Architects for Holy Trinity Development Trust
Contract value: £6.5m
GIA: 2,345m²
Cost per m²: £2,772

Hull Minster, formerly Holy Trinity Church, is considered the largest parish church in the country. Hard to believe that, back in 2009, there were fears of potential closure of this magnificent Grade I-listed city-centre building, which contains 700 years of cultural, civic and spiritual heritage.

Over the last 15 years, a programme of transformation has been underway to ensure its viability and long-term future use. The newly formed Trinity Square, created ahead of Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017, introduces a new civic space to the west of the building entrance, bringing the city right to the front door. 

Designed in collaboration with Re-form Landscape Architecture, this first phase of works involved the removal of some of the boundary walls that skirted and hemmed the building. By doing so, it sets the scene as a liminal, civic space between the church and the city.

Next came a programme of internal reordering, the most significant of which was to the nave. The result is a space that feels warm and inviting, with a glazed entrance lobby and improved entrance sequence. Moveable timber chairs replace the fixed Victorian pews, bringing a new lightness and flexibility to the nave that is further amplified by the original high-level clerestory windows. 

An insulated limestone floor replaces dark tiles, and again provides versatility for hosting concerts, installations, community events and festivals. The jury members were impressed with the newfound possibilities of the building, as a place of worship, cultural and civic centre, gallery and marketplace – as well as a warm space and place of refuge.

The latest phase of works undertaken has been a reordering of the choir vestry and former boiler room to the southwest. Here, a new extension and associated adaptations allow for a café space, bringing activity to the street scene with further potential for opening up the building to Trinity Square. 

The extensions provide separate access and entrance arrangements to the Minster, allowing for multiple events and a useful ability to manage separate activities and functions. The materiality and detail of the Minster are referenced through the approach to details, including a patinated brass tracery screen and reference to the stone and rhythm of the nave windows.

It has clearly been challenging to manage the site and heritage constraints, but the benefit is evident in contributing to the future viability of the building and its uses. Jury members were particularly heartened by the ambition from the whole project team to collaboratively bring this building back from the brink for the enjoyment of many. 

The long-term commitment shown by the client, large group of stakeholders and design team lead by Bauman Lyons Architects is commendable.

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