A New Worship Centre for Hoddle Street

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For many years there has been a vacant block on Hoddle Street a short distance north of the Collingwood Town Hall. Behind it the congregation of St. Philips Church has worshipped in a plain brick building. Now, at last, a church has been built

A new worship centre has been built that will serve the needs of the congregation and the community, and was dedicated on June 19th, 2005.

The people of St. Philips have worshipped in this location since 1865, when the original gothic-style bluestone church was built on an area known as the “Collingwood Flat” and Hoddle Street was a frontier on the eastern edge of Collingwood. This old church was demolished in 1968 and the land sold to Collingwood Council, but the congregation kept the bluestone vicarage on the north side and two brick meeting halls. In 1984 the main hall on Hoddle Street burnt down and only one hall remained.

This is where the new worship centre is situated.

A central worship space accommodates 100 people, and community offices will accommodate smaller groups. A foyer connects this new building to the existing brick hall, which has been refurbished to include a commercial kitchen, children’s spaces, as well as a refurbished hall which will be available for hire. Between the two buildings, secluded from the noisy bustle of Hoddle Street, are two separate outdoor areas: a courtyard Memorial Garden, and an area for outdoor gatherings. These gardens will be established in the next year or so.

A building ‘distinctively Christian’
The project architects, The Buchan Group, have responded to requests by the parish to design a building that is distinctively Christian. The building is also responsive to the overall streetscape in an important civic and heritage precinct. It is a contemporary design incorporating steel, brick and glass. The stepped roof line links the high, peaked roof of the bluestone vicarage and the lower, flatter roof of the RSL Hall on the other side. The front of the building is set back from the street and will be landscaped with native plants.

Stained Glass
The centrepiece of the façade will be a stained-glass window extending from ground level to the roofline. It is being designed by Christopher John of Phoenix Glass, an artist well-known for his work in churches around Melbourne. His design, in ochres and purples reflecting the Australian landscape, develops themes of God’s love and Christian worship within the local setting of Collingwood and the City of Yarra.

The window will light the worship space and create a focus for meditation. There are separate pages on this website devoted to this aspect of the project. Go to windows pages

The worship space
The worship space, along with all the interior spaces, is flexible, permitting a range of compatible uses. It will be a venue for a variety of activities that explore different aspects of the Christian message, including music, drama, and art. Together, these will welcome visitors and permit celebration.

For the community
The community offices, hall, and commercial kitchen will all be available for use by community groups on a permanent basis or for casual use. The parish is working to develop the most effective means of using our resources of space and of skills.

We would like to hear from any community groups interested in entering a partnership to develop projects that might enhance the community life in Collingwood, using these new buildings as its base. Community groups whose needs might be met by the provision of office space or meeting rooms are particularly invited to contact us. The St. Philip’s worship centre is the first new church building to be constructed on Hoddle Street in decades. It is an exciting opportunity. We want our new worship centre to be a place of Christian witness, compassion and outreach and to be a hub of community life in our area of Collingwood.

© 2002 Susan Lawrence and Alex Scutt (revised June 2005)