The news that planning permission for Feilden Fowles’ proposed visitor centre at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was granted has been public knowledge since February; and yet, the centre’s future was not entirely settled until today’s announcement that the elegant design project has now secured a £1.7 million funding from the Arts Council.
The Sculpture Park – located near Wakefield, West Yorkshire – is a popular destination for cultural tourists, attracting over 500,000 visitors every year, so the addition of a new centre – not least the one proposed by the award-winning young London based practice – is key to catering for the park’s growing needs.
Situated at the southern entrance to the park, the building will not only enhance visitor experience, but will also strengthen security in that part of the site. The program includes a 140 sq m restaurant, a generous 125 sq m gallery space, an 80 sq m public foyer and a 50 sq m shop.
Additionally, Feilden Fowles – recently awarded the accolade of BD Young Architect of the Year 2016 – have aimed for a design that is environmentally friendly, with minimum impact on its verdant surrounds.
Insulated and naturally ventilated, the centre will, for example, also feature an air-source heat pump for heating and a dense green roof. 'It will incorporate a pioneering low energy environmental control system using a passive humidity buffer to maintain favourable conditions in the gallery,' say practice directors Fergus Feilden and Edmund Fowles.
Support from other organisations – the Foyle Foundation among them – has also been pledged, bringing the design one step closer to realisation. The current plan holds an estimated completion date of late 2017.
The centre, located near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, will cater to the growing needs of a cultural attraction that receives about 500,000 visitors a year
The program includes a restaurant, gallery space, public foyer and shop
In addition to its elegant design, the centre is also environmentally friendly, with good insulation, natural ventilation, a low energy environmental control system and a green roof
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Feilden Fowles website
-
MoMA names Christophe Cherix its new directorThe Swiss-born curator has worked in the Museum of Modern Art’s drawings and prints department since 2007
-
The Yale Center for British Art, Louis Kahn’s final project, glows anew after a two-year closureAfter years of restoration, a modernist jewel and a treasure trove of British artwork can be seen in a whole new light
-
How Le Corbusier defined modernismLe Corbusier was not only one of 20th-century architecture's leading figures but also a defining father of modernism, as well as a polarising figure; here, we explore the life and work of an architect who was influential far beyond his field and time
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in OxfordThe Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodellingNorth Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its gardenArchitects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional spaceA multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st CenturyThanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on siteThis grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
