Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2011 10:36 am

A new altar with a stunning contemporary design has arrived at St Aubyn’s Church in Devonport to complete the renaissance of the once redundant church.

As part of the Devonport Regeneration Community scheme, St Aubyn’s has been transformed by converting it for use as a library, performance area and café while retaining an area for worship.

The new church furniture which also includes a priest’s chair and lectern has been designed by Charlotte Burden of Cornwall based Le Page Architects and built by furniture designer and maker, Christian O’Reilly from Bude.

Amanda Le Page, who devised the original renovation and refurbishment concepts for St Aubyn’s said: “We received the commission for the furniture soon after the new St Aubyn’s Church re-opened and we wanted to design something that related to the Georgian proportions of the church and resonated with the shape of its windows and its barrel vaulted ceiling but with a contemporary look.

“It was important for us that the final pieces would stand as works of art in their own right and would be enjoyed in different ways.  We were very lucky to have met Christian O’Reilly at the Bovey Tracey Contemporary Crafts Fair last summer.  His work is stunning and he has done a tremendous job.”

Charlotte Burden added: “We talked extensively with Reverend David Nixon to get a real understanding of his and the church’s needs.  The altar is finished in oak but unusually has a raised glass surface with etched crosses.

“Thanks to the internet and Skype, we were able to make design modifications online with Christian O’Reilly in Bude making changes to his drawings on our screen 50 miles away.”

Reverend David Nixon commented: “The arrival of the church furniture marks a wonderful day in the history of St Aubyn’s. It is the symbolic last piece in the jigsaw and the end of a long and sometimes difficult journey but one that has been worthwhile making.”