The church seen square on across a paved forecourt: tall boarded timber doors and bays of glass under a deep band of weathered exposed-aggregate concrete with a concrete cross set into it; a glazed lantern with sloping timber mullions rises behind a green railing on the roof; trees at both sides.

St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Sutherland

136 Flora Street, Sutherland, near the corner of Belmont Street

Glendening and King Pty Ltd, with engineers Woolacott Hale Corlett and Jumikis. Dedicated 12 December 1982. Brutalism.

Size
A single storey with a raised lantern
Material
Exposed-aggregate concrete, timber doors, a glazed lantern
Status
In use as the parish church

The present church was dedicated on 12 December 1982 by Cardinal James Freeman. The architects were Glendening and King Pty Ltd, with the engineers Woolacott Hale Corlett and Jumikis.

From the forecourt it is low and wide. A deep band of exposed-aggregate concrete runs over a wall of tall boarded timber doors and glass, and at one end it bends down towards the ground. A concrete cross is set into the band and drops below it. The roof behind is planted and edged with a railing, and over the sanctuary rises a lantern in the shape of a cut-off pyramid, its sloping face glazed between timber mullions. Inside, the low boarded timber ceiling opens over the sanctuary, where angled timber planes rise towards the light and the altar stands against a wall of rough-faced blocks.

Read about Brutalism in Sydney

Sources

  1. The Brutalist Project Sydney, Glenn Harper, Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships Journal Series, NSW Architects Registration Board (2016)
  2. St Patrick's Catholic Church, Churches Australia