St Michael's Church, Shoreditch

The Church of St Michael and All Angels was completed in eighteen sixty-five, serving as a spiritual anchor for a neighborhood that was at the time struggling with immense poverty. Its designer, James Brooks, became known as the Sir Christopher Wren of the East End for his prolific work in building churches across this part of London. He relied on a High Victorian Gothic style, characterized by grand, soaring ceilings and sturdy, imposing forms. For decades, the building stood as a beacon of faith, though its life as a place of worship ended in the nineteen sixties when it was deconsecrated.