The foundation stone for St Richard's was laid on 19th September 1964 and the building consecrated on 20th May 1966, with the vision expressed by both the chairman of the developers and the Bishop that the church would be a focal point for the new community. This vision remains at the heart of the life of St Richard's.

The building was designed by Ralph Covell, who worked on 23 churches, mainly in Southwark Diocese. St Richard's appears to be unique in having a hexagram (Star of David) floor plan. Covell's design brought together timber hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) roofs and dalle de verre glass to provide a striking modern church expressing the liturgical vision and architectural optimism of the time.

Hypar roofs were developed during the 1950s, and although perhaps 140 were constructed in the UK, they were rarely used for churches. The roof at St Richard's was originally covered in copper, but this was largely replaced with copper veral shortly after the church was completed.

Covell deliberately created St Richards as a flexible ‘one‐room church’ resulting in a light and lofty space which enabled both contemporary worship and more traditional liturgical services. Whilst Ralph Covell was responsible for the architectural design and church furniture, he collaborated with Henry Haig on the fourteen vibrant dalle de verre windows inspired by the life of St Richard which are positioned at ground level. As well as being a significant example of an artist’s early work in a form of glazing now hardly used, the St Richard windows are significant in forming a complete set for the whole building. Haig also designed the vestry door panels which are faced with enamels, gold and silver fused onto sheet steel.

In 2024, the church was Grade II Listed for the following principal reasons (quoting the listing document from Historic England):

• as a largely intact example of an innovative 1960s church by an interesting post-war practice with an unusual Star of David-shaped plan;

• for its carefully considered interior with dalle de verre stained glass and enamelled doors by Henry Haig;

• for the technical interest of its complex and striking roof, employing three timber hyperbolic paraboloid shells, a rare surviving example of this short-lived post-war building technology.

• as a good example of post-war ecclesiastical design employing Liturgical Movement principles.

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