The church of St Paul, Waterloo by Jean Cosse

Manplan 5 was originally published in March 1970, and was republished online in May 2016. Read the full piece on church design here

The church of St Paul, Waterloo, Belgium (architect Jean Cosse) is on almost every count typical of the current movement in church building: modest in expression, clear and sensible in plan. A large foyer ensures that the congregation can stop and talk under cover. An ‘operational space’ where the lectern is, between the entrance and the sanctuary, allows the congregation to participate. In so small a church as this it does not matter that part of the congregation is behind the reader’s back.