Riverside Community Church | Kibler Park

(Gauteng Province, SA)

Like origami, the phases of this project fold outward into different but linked functional spaces. The Riverside Community church is a project completed under Seven Stars Developments and can be found along the Kibler Park wetlands in the deep South of Johannesburg. For over a decade, the church resided in a school building, where offices, meeting spaces, and congregational areas were strewn across a large campus. This disjointed reality meant that productivity was often hampered by a failed repurposing of space. The mandate for their new design on a clean-slate property was underpinned by a cohesive design and flow, where all kinds of human connection were prioritized through space.

The first phase focuses on creating a critical ministry team hub, churchyard, and congregational area. The courtyard is the heart of the space, and the route from the parking lot allows for direct arterial access to the office spaces. This was an important design consideration during the week, where a small team of ministry members work onsite. This singular route entry assists in clean pedestrian traffic and ensures security on site. A covered walkway snakes between the courtyard and the office building to offer protection from highveld thunderstorms.

The second phase focuses on transitioning the gathering space into a foyer, and a new auditorium is built to replace the former gathering area. The ablutions are strategically-located and accessible from all major congregational spaces. Given the multi-generational draw of a church, the sound design of the project ensures that, while the quietness of the church proceeds in the main auditorium, children are still able to actively and happily engage in their own spaces. The concept design process involved democratic and plural consultation with several ministry leaders and design committees. All role-players were engaged in dialogue, and the vision for the project was streamlined to ensure collective happiness about the future of the church.