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08 May 2013

Competition to find UK’s best modern church architecture

The search is on to find the top 10 churches built in the UK since 1953 in a new architecture competition launched by the National Churches Trust, the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association and the Twentieth Century Society.

Nominations can be made of any church building or significant extension from any Christian denomination as long as it opened for worship after 1 January 1953 and is still open for worship today.

Judges will be looking for creative architecture which imaginatively expresses Christian religious belief and practice of the past 60 years.

The competition is being held to mark the 60th anniversary of the National Churches Trust. Since 1953 the Trust has provided over 12,000 grants and loans worth £85 million to help fund the repair and modernisation of Christian places of worship.

From the top 10, a special National Churches Trust Diamond Jubilee Architecture award will be presented to the three places of worship judged to be the best sacred spaces built in the last 60 years at a ceremony to be held at Lambeth Palace in November 2013.

Claire Walker, chief executive of the National Churches Trust, said: "As a nation we are rightly proud of our magnificent heritage of historic churches. But there are also many exciting churches which have been built in the last 60 years designed for the changing nature of religious liturgy and practice which reflects modern architecture and design.

"The challenge of helping people catch a glimpse of heaven has always produced highly creative and imaginative architecture. It will be exciting to discover the best examples of modern church architecture and honour those responsible."

Nominations are also invited for two more awards, the King of Prussia Gold Medal for church repair and conservation work and for the Presidents' Award for innovative, high quality new church architecture built in the last year.

Nominations for churches, chapels or meeting houses to be entered into the competition can be made at National Churches Trust on a nominations page online or by emailing the name and address of the building to bestchurches@nationalchurchestrust.org before 31 July 2013.