St Paul Old Ford

St Paul Old Ford is an Anglican church on St Stephen's Road with a steel-framed building called The Ark constructed inside the original walls. This internal structure creates multiple floors that hold worship areas, community spaces, and facilities for physical activities.

This church was founded in 1878 and has served the Anglican community in east London since then. A comprehensive renovation in the early 2000s transformed the interior while keeping the original outer walls intact.

The church functions as a gathering place for worship and community life, with spaces that reflect how residents use the building today. The flexible arrangement shows how religious buildings can evolve to serve their neighborhoods in practical ways.

The building sits on St Stephen's Road in Old Ford and provides accessible entrances for all visitors. Internal lifts connect the multiple levels, making all areas reachable for people with different mobility needs.

The interior holds a complete steel building that functions like a structure within a structure while the Victorian outer walls remain unchanged. This unusual approach allowed the church to preserve its historic facade and meet modern needs at the same time.