RLB was involved in the rebuild of this iconic Durban church that sadly burnt down in June 2016. Locally known as the “Jesus Dome”, we had the task of rebuilding this landmark building, taking into account the “dome”, which is not an architecturally sound idea – both spatially and acoustically. The architects and engineers came up with a design whereby the new building’s roof was suspended from long span curved steel arches, clad in aluminium panels and anchored by large concrete buttresses. This enclosed an acoustically planned auditorium and ancillary buildings in a “virtual dome”.
This charismatic church serves a less than privileged community, making the budget significantly important. Internally, materials, finishes and building services were treated as raw and stripped down to their bare state to create honest and authentic quality. This is also evidenced by the incorporation of some saved elements from the church fire. RLB provided full quantity surveying services for this unique project.
