St Marys, Becontree
Discreet church AV designed to support worship and wider community use
Carefully integrated church AV for worship, events and community engagement
Set within a large residential area of East London, St Mary’s, Dagenham wanted to achieve two clear goals: enhance worship and create a facility that would help the church play a stronger role in the wider community. The building’s architecture made it possible to install a large cinema screen and projector in a way that remains almost invisible when not in use, lowering smoothly into position at the press of a button.
The project also included a full sound system upgrade with directional multi-purpose column speakers, new amplification, microphones, mixer and system improvements throughout.
Where We Started
A simple change in technology that quickly became part of worship itself
The transformation has been striking. One of the clearest signs of the change came when hymn words were first displayed on the screens and the congregation instinctively turned to follow them. In a single moment, the new system became part of how worship was experienced, making services easier to follow and more naturally shared across the space.
The New Screen Arrives
A large church screen carefully positioned to stay out of sight until needed
Keeping visual intrusion to a minimum was a key part of the design. The 5.5 metre-wide screen was suspended from a balcony within the church tower, around 10 metres above the floor, allowing it to remain discreet when not in use. From this less obtrusive position, it can roll smoothly down into exactly the right location when needed.
Screen in Two Sections
A discreet two-stage screen system designed to protect the look and feel of the church
Keeping both the screen and projector out of sight was a central part of the design. By suspending them from the balcony within the church tower, the system remains hidden when not in use. The screen itself is built in two sections, with the outer case lowered by motors and straps to a preset position before the screen is revealed.
Projector Lift
A retractable projector lift that keeps church technology hidden until it is needed
As with the screen, keeping the projector hidden when not in use was a key part of the design. A compact retractable lift was used to suspend the projector from the balcony around 10 metres above the floor, allowing it to lower into position only when needed. Installation at this height required specialist access using a cherry picker.
