Sufi Centre,

Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Grade II Listed Building (NHLE: 1270866)

Emergency Recording prior to demolition of dangerous structure

OASIS: thejesso1-151 541

The JESSOP Consultancy was commissioned by Sheffield City Council to undertake a programme of emergency photographic recording and fabric analysis of the former Vincent Road Church, in Abbeydale, Sheffield. This building was designed by the architect Joseph Smith in 1891-93 as a Primitive Methodist Chapel in a red brick Gothic style.

A catastrophic fire during redevelopment work left the building in a perilous condition, and demolition was deemed necessary to ensure public safety.

The architectural recording was undertaken in conjunction with the demolition programme, which required safe working zones to be created and multiple site visits as new areas of the building became accessible. The survey has successfully recreated the former internal layout and established the sequence of construction, which incorporated composite steel girders and load bearing brickwork.

Scope of work: archive research, rapid photography survey, structural watching brief