Location: 1 Commonwealth Drive, Singapore 149603
History: The Blessed Sacrament Church (also known as Church of the Blessed Sacrament) is a Catholic church located along Queensway, facing Commonwealth Drive.1 Officially opened in 1965, it was built to serve the Catholic community in the Queenstown area. The church building was awarded conservation status by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2005.3
Architectural Design: Designed by Y. Gordon Dowsett of Van Sitteren and Partners, the most outstanding feature of the church building is its slate roof, which is constructed in folds to resemble the shape of a tent.15 The roof is said to symbolise the “tent of meeting” mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, and covers the main sanctuary, built in a cruciform shape. The roof is also designed with integrated glass panels, where the four points of the cruciform meet to allow natural light into the sanctuary. The worship hall is made of fair-faced brick walls with timber ceiling panels, while a Celtic cross, (a cross with a ring at its centre) adorns the exterior brick face wall of the main altar.
Scope: Architectural dilapidation survey and condition assessment was conducted to determine and record various types of defects, distress and deterioration observed. The extent of defects and recommend intervention strategies were addressed as a basis for the restoration works.
Also working as a material consultant in the restoration project, our scope of works included material testing and evaluation to determine condition of heritage finishes and effectiveness of restoration works. Non-destructive testing such as Infra-red Thermography, Drill Resistance Measuring System (DRMS), Surface Penetrating Radar were used for the understanding of existing condition and verification of the works. Timber assessment was conducted on the historical building.
Reference: The Blessed Sacrament Church
