St Michael and St George, White City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Michael and St George, White City
Parish Church of St Michael and St George, White City
St Michael and St George, White City as seen in Spring 2021
St Michael and St George, White City Location in Greater London
51°30′45″N 0°13′50″W / 51.512445°N 0.230576°W / 51.512445; -0.230576
Location	1 Commonwealth Ave, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 7QR
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Tradition	Anglican
Website	St Michael and St George, White City
History
Founded	1954
Dedicated	1953
Architecture
Architect(s)	John Seely and Paul Paget
Style	Modernist
Years built	1952-53
Administration
Parish	White City
Deanery	Hammersmith and Fulham
Archdeaconry	Middlesex
Episcopal area	Kensington
Diocese	Diocese of London
Province	Canterbury

The church of St Michael and St George, White City, is the local church for the White City area in west London. It serves the White City housing estate, which started being built in the 1930s and was finished after the Second World War. The church also serves new buildings near the old BBC Television Centre and the former White City Stadium.

Building the Church: Design and Opening

The church building was designed by British architects John Seely and Paul Paget. It officially opened its doors in 1954. A book about London buildings describes it as a "humble, quietly modern" church. It has an L-shape, meaning the church and its hall are connected. The roofs are gently curved.

The outside of the church has a special painted area called a tympanum. Inside, above the altar, there was a large wall painting by Brian Thomas.

Art Inside the Church

The church has several interesting artworks:

• A large wall painting by Brian Thomas was once above the main altar. It showed the church's two patron saints, St Michael and St George, with sheep. This painting is now covered by a special curtain.
• The painting on the outside of the church, in the tympanum, was created around 1990. It was part of a community art project led by artist Peter Pelz.
• There are also big painted murals on the walls on both sides of the sanctuary (the area around the altar). These murals were made in 1985. They were part of another community art project, this time led by artist Debbie de Beer.

What do the murals show?

A sign on the north wall explains that the murals were painted by local people. They show scenes from "The Way of the Cross." This was an Easter play performed in the streets of Shepherd's Bush in 1984.

Future Plans for the Church

In November 2018, the Bishop of London suggested a plan for the church. The idea was to take down the current buildings and build new ones. These new buildings would include a new place for worship, better community spaces, and homes for church workers. These plans are currently on hold.

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