Description

Alan Reiach, 1963-1964. Single storey, square-plan pyramidal church with halls adjoining to SW. Facing bricks. Deep overhanging boarded timber eaves to church supported by steel girder columns; continuous horizontal band of clerestory windows below eaves to church.

CHURCH:

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; flat-roofed porch advanced to centre, 2 steps to 2-leaf timber door, flanked to left and right by 3-light glazed panels, single windows to left and right returns.

NE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; boarded timber door reached by ramp off-centre to right.

NW ELEVATION: blank except clerestory windows (see above).

SW ELEVATION: blank, except clerestory windows (see above); halls adjoining to centre (see below).

Predominantly metal-framed windows. Copper pyramidal roof, glazed to stepped-back apex; copper steeply-pitched pyramidal belfry above, on 4 stilts, timber underside.

INTERIOR: brick lined nave with glazed timber doors; tiled and boarded timber floor; timber pews arranged at angles around central timber pulpit, font, lectern and communion table on raised plinth; boarded timber lining to tall pyramidal roof, timber grid to apex with rooflights and artificial lighting.

HALLS:

Single storey, T-plan church halls advanced from centre of SE Elevation of church.

SE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; glazed timber door to right, flanked to left by long glazed corridor; kitchen and lavatory wing advanced to left, windows to right return with doorway stepped-forward to centre, 2-leaf timber door flanked by glazed panels; main hall stepped up and back to outer left, horizontal band of windows below roofline.

NE ELEVATION: adjoining church.

NW ELEVATION: asymmetrical; band of windows to bays to right, bays to left stepped-forward with band of windows; main hall stepped back to outer right.

SW ELEVATION: main hall, continuous horizontal band of windows below roofline.

Predominantly timber-framed windows. Flat roof with vertical copper overhang to all but main hall.

INTERIOR: simple with boarded timber ceilings, except in main hall.

STEEL CROSS: large steel crucifix to S of church.

Statement of Interest

St Mungo's Parish Church is a striking landmark in the centre of Cumbernauld. Prominently sited on the top of a small hill, the bold copper pyramidal roof is an important landmark. Alan Reiach designed two churches in Cumbernauld, both of which can accommodate 800, Kildrum Church - the earlier of the two. Alan Reiach (1910-1992), who was apprenticed to Sir Robert Lorimer (1864-1929), was primarily involved in the design of public buildings, including churches, schools, universities and hospitals. Noteworthy features of St Mungo's Parish Church include the bold pyramidal roof, with apex of which forms a roof light lighting the nave of the church, and above this is a pyramidal belfry. The impressive Baltic redwood-lined interior gains natural light from the large central rooflight and clerestory windows.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17826269

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)