Built on the initiative of a Baptist pastor and designed by the prolific architecture firm of Clayton & Black, the "elegant" Flemish Renaissance-style building dates from 1890 and overlooks a central square.

David Davies,[6] proposed a scheme for a block of luxury flats opposite the church on a site between Holland Road, Palmeira Square and Rochester Gardens.

[8] Established in the 1870s, this firm designed many types of building in Brighton and Hove over a 100-year period and in an eclectic range of styles.

Like Sir Isaac Goldsmid, he supported Jewish emancipation, and at the time of his visit to Hove to see the new Brunswick estate in the late 1820s he held the title 2nd Baron Gwydyr.

[8] Each of the 50 flats had servants' accommodation, reflecting the social status of the expected occupants: from the beginning Gwydyr Mansions was aimed at wealthy people.

[9] The barber shop was refitted in 1936 with vitrolite fixtures, but a glazed screen designed by Clayton & Black survives near the entrance.