sea sea roman catholic church town island north wales built 1930s design italian architect reinforced concrete church shape boat reflecting maritime heritage dedicated lady star sea title welsh saint church grade listed building designation given particularly important buildings special interest remarkable inter war church built highly unusual experimental design called rare unique church called britain avant garde churches location history church road miles west town north coast wales dedicated title lady star sea 7th century welsh construction church began foundations excavated completed church consecrated year architect italian engineer settled north wales english wife suffering tuberculosis specialist field design roman catholic churches conventional examples work found north wales church diocese parish priest father parish includes churches lady damage weather deterioration concrete meant church closed worship requiring attend services demolition possibility appeal launched raised estimated million million necessary repairs included replacing roof internally externally repairing steps application planning permission work submitted application grant rejected march committee concerned proposed new extension inappropriate recognising high heritage merit proposal body responsible built heritage wales grant grant june bodies individuals donations appeal church reopened restoration mass celebrated architecture fittings built reinforced concrete building designed style boat design nautical theme elements windows deliberate reference history port town position coast church concrete arch ribs outside base rib main entrance south end church stone steps window shaped like church like star set mosaic positioned door stone cross facade concrete church dressed stone south nearest main road ribs outside visible inside building patterns lights coloured marble panels lower parts interior walls rear church parish hall built masonry underneath church altar replaced reopening church carved brought convent liverpool dedicated porch houses slab dating half 13th century assessment church grade listed building second highest grades listing designating particularly important buildings special interest given status december listed remarkable inter war church describes striking individual highly unusual experimental design exploits plastic qualities material create expressive religious building guide churches describes impressive building surely unusual church guide buildings north wales describes piece italian architectural daring referring french structural engineer worked concrete guide asks inspired church closer 1920s paris catholic church design unlike building writing church reopened heritage writer journalist said church worth visit exterior closed noted sweeping arches inspired boats bold sloping sides west end concluding church saved described britain avant garde churches said far best work calling rare unique church noted highly individual interpretation seaside setting modern design monumental aesthetic entrance guide religious buildings wales written church reopened described unusual added fittings worthy building noted writer words catholic church church built britain wars frankly radical character
Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride, Amlwch