St Sarkis, Kensington

St Sarkis Church stands in a quiet Kensington street lined with tall houses. Built in 1922–23 as a memorial to his parents by the oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, it is the only church in England designed in the traditional Armenian style. The architect Arthur Davis took his inspiration from the 13th-century bell tower of Haghpat Monastery in Armenia. The church serves as the seat of the Diocese of the United Kingdom for the Armenian Apostolic Church. Its Portland stone walls rise in three stages, echoing the freestanding tower that Davis admired. The interior contains a gilded altarpiece with angels by the Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts. Sculptures of Gulbenkian’s family members are placed inside, and an English inscription marks the dedication in the Armenian Era. The church was enlarged twice, first in 1937 with a baptistery and new entrance, then in 1950 with a sacristy. Catholicos Vazgen I visited in 1978 and again in 1983, recognising its importance to the Armenian community. Visitors find a calm interior where light falls on the Greek-cross plan and the Virgin and Child painting. The three-tiered exterior gives the building a distinctive silhouette against the London sky. Inside, the gilded reliefs and family sculptures create a quiet focus on memory and faith. The church’s Grade II* listing confirms its standing as a rare example of Armenian architecture in Britain.