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Brighton 3T's Chapel
Relocation and Conservation
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Hidden within the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton stood a remarkable survivor: a 165-year-old Victorian chapel, Grade II listed and still in use within the original Barry Building. It was the oldest operating chapel within a healthcare facility in the UK, quietly serving patients, families, and staff for generations.
As the hospital embarked on its ambitious 3T’s redevelopment programme, Trauma, Teaching, and Tertiary Care, the future of this historic chapel hung in the balance.
Client
Laing O'rourke
Location
Brighton
Grade listing
Grade II
Fabric
Lead
Slate
Glass
Concrete
When Progress Demands Precision
The 3T’s project is a cornerstone of the hospital’s transformation, delivering a modern, world-class healthcare environment. However, the redevelopment required the demolition of the chapel’s original home. Preserving the building was non-negotiable, but doing so demanded an extraordinary solution.
DBR was appointed to deliver a full turnkey relocation: dismantling, removing, restoring, and reconstructing the entire 350m² chapel within the new 3T’s unit. The completed chapel was required to be fully operational at handover, with no further works required, placing exceptional emphasis on accuracy, care, and programme control.
Mapping Every Stone Before It Moved
Before a single element could be dismantled, DBR created a millimetre-accurate BIM model of the entire chapel. Every component, architectural, decorative, and structural, was measured, mapped, and catalogued to ensure it could be reassembled precisely in its new home.
This digital model became the backbone of the project, guiding the removal process piece-by-piece and allowing exact setting-out within the new structure. It eliminated spatial clashes, prevented cumulative errors, and ensured that the historic fabric would align perfectly once reconstructed.
Taking a Chapel Apart to Save It
The dismantling process was meticulous. Each original element was carefully removed, labelled, and protected, ready for reinstallation. The chapel was temporarily relocated offsite, where reconstruction would take place within a bespoke three-storey concrete structure.
This approach significantly reduced disruption on the hospital site while allowing controlled conditions for restoration and reassembly.
Rebuilding Faith Inside Concrete
Within the new hospital, DBR rebuilt the chapel as a fully enclosed sacred space, suspending the original interiors within a bespoke concrete shell using a carefully engineered blockwork and steel structure. Lightboxes behind the stained glass recreated its distinctive glow despite the absence of windows, preserving the chapel’s spiritual ambience. The team carried out a comprehensive restoration, reinstating every architectural and decorative element with remarkable accuracy, achieving a reconstruction tolerance of just 10 millimetres. Although the move meant losing its Grade II listed status, the chapel’s character, integrity, and visual impact were maintained ensuring this sacred and community space could be enjoyed within the new state of the art hospital complex.
Building Through Unprecedented Constraints
The project was delivered within two of the most challenging live environments imaginable: an operational hospital and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict infection control measures, logistical constraints, and the need to maintain uninterrupted healthcare services demanded exceptional planning and adaptability.
Despite these pressures, DBR ensured the works progressed safely, sensitively, and efficiently, keeping disruption to an absolute minimum.
The chapel now thrives within the new Royal Sussex County Hospital, rebuilt and restored with a renewed purpose. Once at risk, it continues to offer reflection and calm within a cutting‑edge healthcare setting.
