An evening lecture for the London Festival of Architecture 2025, in partnership with the St John Historical Society.

In May 1941, the Order of St John’s Priory Church was destroyed by incendiary bombs during the Blitz, leaving behind a charred, hollow shell. After the Second World War, the Order prioritised its reconstruction. The Gothic Revival architect Sir Ninian Comper initially proposed extravagant designs, but instead, Seely & Paget were appointed to rebuild the church with a design more modest in manner. Seely & Paget’s early pioneering of conservation architecture through their re-imagining of the Priory Church will be the subject of this talk.

Esmé Coppock MA (Hons) FSAScot, read Architectural History and Heritage at the University of Edinburgh and wrote her dissertation on the architectural partnership Seely & Paget. After graduating in 2022, Esmé became a Heritage Consultant with Simpson & Brown.

Click here to book for From the Ashes: The Rebuilding of The Priory Church of St John via Eventbrite or call us on 020 7324 4005.