The Church of St Martin originates from the 12th Century but was restored in the 19th Century, when the interiors were strongly formalised and a spire added. The cathedral’s desired activities are currently restricted by its physical constraints, and with a limited capacity of c.800, obstructed sightlines and poor lighting/acoustics it misses its considerable potential to provide a valuable open space for all within the tight urban grain. The brief was for a space which could be used for a wide variety of services both inside and out. Following a competitive interview process, van Heyningen and Haward were commissioned to carry out a wide-ranging feasibility study for the complete re-ordering of the cathedral. We were then asked to take this internal work further, including detailed consultation and concluding in a preliminary version of a ‘master-plan’ for the reordering. With the discovery of the remains of Richard III in Leicester and subsequent plans to re-interr him at the Cathedral, we were appointed to move along the reordering of the spaces, taking into account these planned new developments and including the siting of a tomb and visitor facilities. Contract value: £1.3m