Celebrations were held on Sunday to mark the completion of building works at St Augstine’s Church in Ipswich.
The church, which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year, is now home to a brand new extension which has been a year in the making.
The structure, known as the annexe, replaces a previous building from the 1960s on the same site.
“It was poorly insulated and wasn’t very warm or comfortable,” said Reverend Trevor Golding from St Augstine’s.
The previous building was also said to be inaccessible for some church goers.
Work on a replacement for the building began in March 2017 and after delays and complications the space was finally completed this Easter.
The new annexe is made of corten steel, the same material used on both the Angel of the North statue in Newcastle and Suffolk’s own Dovecote Studio at Snape Maltings.
The corten steel, also known as weathering steel, forms a rust like appearance after exposure to weather and gives the building its distinct colour.
To fund the project the church were given four grants totalling somewhere in the region of around £80,000.
Mr Golding said that opinions on the new state-of-the-art annexe have been mixed describing it himself as a “marmite building.”
“I think it is a real contrast to the existing building. It’s been a real talking point,” he added.
The new space will mainly be used by groups at the church including its bereavement service and Alpha classes.
“It will be used for some community activities but mostly we want to make church more accessible to the community,” said Mr Golding.
To mark the opening of the new annexe, as well as the church’s 90th birthday, a day of celebrations were held yesterday where church goers and members of the public could look at the changes made to the Ipswich church.
The opening event also featured a celebration service as well as train rides, refreshments and crafts provided by members of the church.
Bishop Mike Harrison, the Bishop of Dunwich, blessed the building in a Thanksgiving and Dedication Service at the end of the day.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here