User:Edo1

St Matthews was one of four new Lambeth parish churches commissioned after victory over Napoleon under the Church Building Act of 1818. The four ‘Waterloo’ churches, as they were known, were all built in neo-Greek style. They were placed in the four corners of Lambeth and named after the gospel writers. St Matthews was erected in Brixton, St Marks in Kennington, St Lukes in West Norwood and St Johns in Waterloo itself. All four churches were built in areas of Lambeth which were experiencing a surge in population in the early 19th century.

(add old picture of exterior...sepia)

St Matthews was consecrated in 1824. The church features an imposing facade created by the architect, C.F.Porden. Unlike the other ‘Waterloo’ churches, Porden placed the steeple and clock tower at the opposite end of the church from the main portico. This gave the church more balance and did not spoil the beauty of the portico itself.

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Externally, very little has changed over the years, but there have been some major structural changes inside the church. The building is now split into six floors with the Anglican Church of St Matthew's and the Brix Community Hall sharing the ground and first floor. The second and third floors were initially built to house a theatre, but are now used as a nightclub. On the top floor are a series of offices and meeting rooms. The crypt is used as a ‘lounge bar’ with live music.