WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL VISITOR CENTRE
Opening page_ The visitor centre hospitality suite is a simple, glazed pavilion Left_ The refectory is enclosed by a soaring pitched roof Below_ Views out from the refectory and courtyard toward the cathedral Right_ Detail of steel roof structure in the refectory
openings, allows the outside and inside spaces to merge. Slate flooring inside the refectory extends into the landscaped courtyard. The architects’ initial proposal
for the refectory was that it should not open to the south, as preserving the privacy of an adjacent garden, then attached to the neighbouring canonry, was an important part of the original brief. The southern wall was designed so that it might be opened up at a later date, should privacy become less of an issue in the future. Now, most of the garden has been opened to the public and an opening has been made in the refectory’s southern elevation to provide access. Throughout the summer months, a temporary marquee is erected here, largely, it seems, to cater for wedding receptions. There is clearly scope for a permanent lightweight garden pavilion for summer use.
The success of the visitor centre as a hospitality and conference venue led to a rethink when the second phase of development took place in 1998–99. The original scheme proposed an education facility terminating the centre to the west. This was delayed by lack of funds but the architects were subsequently
asked to redesign this phase as a flexible space for meetings, receptions and dinners, with additional kitchen space. Costing £477,000, this was constructed on a timber frame, with a zinc-clad roof and a glazed facade looking across the courtyard to the gable of the cathedral’s west front. At a cost of just over £1.5 million
for the entire complex, Winchester Cathedral certainly got excellent value for money. The centre has worn well and is much used by the local community as well as generating a valuable revenue for the cathedral. The mix of modern and more traditional materials – steel and glass contrasted with natural stone, brick and knapped flint – is both effective and practical. In recent decades, the visitor centre has become a building type in its own right, an apparently inevitable adjunct to castles, cathedrals, country houses, parks and historic sites across Britain. With no clear historical precedents, the visitor centre poses a challenge to architects – too often it takes the form of a repro barn or a stable. This project generated a more interesting strategy, a pragmatic and elegant modern insertion into a precious historic environment.
024 ArchitecturePLB / 1971–2011 / Buildings
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