Great Fen Visitor Centre

This competition entry, in collaboration with AJT and Todd Milburn Partnership, progressed past the first stage. A strong brief, healthy budget and good site allowed for innovative design and construction

Far-reaching views of the Fenland landscape determine the sympathetic form of the visitor centre.  Green and sustainable in its construction and use, the Visitor Centre forms the focal point for the Great Fen, acting as a hub for activities at the Centre and surrounding fenland.  The Holme Post, the building’s centre-point, is a pivotal feature that links the new Centre with its historical past.  A spiral staircase wraps around this feature, and as visitors ascend to the glazed viewing deck above, they follow a narrative sequence tracing man’s influence upon the Fens from its medieval origins to the present.

Upon reaching the elevated viewing deck, visitors have unparalleled 360⁰ views of unique fenland wildlife habitats, which can be enjoyed undisturbed throughout the seasons.  Sensitive landscaping around the Visitor’s Centre is based around the theme of a water droplet at its centre, with undulating wet areas, peaks and hollows emanating outwards.