Visitor Centres
Working with our long-term collaborator Eleanor Rennie and sustainability experts Max Fordham we have produced a number of visitor centre concept designs for the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (Consulting).
Wetland Masterplan proposal for Jiulongkou, China, 2016
We were comissoned by Wildfowl & Wetland Trust Consulting to develop proposals for the design of a new wetland centre for the Jiulongkou Tourism Resort Administration Committee of Jiangsu Provence, China. The design is essentially a tilted dish, which responds to the natural wetland landscape as well as local history and legend. Rising out of the landscape, the semi-sunken building provides views over the wetlands from a series of gallery spaces, a shop, a play area and a restaurant.
Aldabra House Visitor Centre, Seychelles, 2014
In 2014 we were invited to submit proposals to the Seychelles Island Foundation for the design of a new $15 million (USD) visitor and operations centre. The project, known as 'Aldabra House', is intended to promote a better understanding of Aldabra Atoll - a remote and unique coral atoll in the Indian Ocean which is both a UNESCO World Heritage site and a RAMSAR site. As home to hundreds of endemic species it is also a highly valuable source of research for scientists.
As part of a consortium led by WWT Consulting we competed against four other invited teams, including the designers of the London Eye - Marks Barfield, and double Stirling-prize winners Wilkinson Eyre. We presented our proposals to the judging panel on the Seychelles main island Mahe in September 2014 but Marks Barfield were selected.
Cuihu Wetland Park, Beijing, 2015
In 2015 we were invited to submit proposals to the management office of Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park, Beijing, for the design of a new $15 million (USD) wetland centre. The design sensitively responds to Beijing's only natural wetland landscape, 157 hectares in size , and home to 191 species of wild birds. Inspired by birds taking flight, a series of proposed pavilions create ripples of pathways, water gardens and working wetlands, embedding the scheme within this unique landscape and aiding management of this precious wetland habitat.
As part of a consortium led by WWT Consulting we competed against two other invited teams. Our entry reached the final round of judging but narrowly missed out to internationally renown architect Kengo Kuma.
