The new St John’s Church replaces a 1910 church building that failed earthquake standards. MOAA, after winning the invited competition to design the new structure, developed a simple contemporary form, square in plan and rotated 9 degrees off the street grid to increase its presence and visually separate it from the existing church complex while maintaining a physical connection.

The exterior is predominantly clad in two materials: weathered steel, to contrast with the neighbourhood’s mixed architectural styles and complement the seasonal tones of the opposite park; and vertical timber fins, set at an angle to the glazing, that balance sun protection with transparency and openness. The interior’s single space is ordered by the glulam structural system, with columns and beams divided into five equal bays and the space between each bay consisting of either glass or larch battens.