Visitor Centres – Engaging the public

18 April 2023

Visitor Centres – Engaging the public

As the first point of contact with the public, visitor centres need to make the right first impression. Kay Hill looks at some interesting examples.

VISITOR CENTRES provide a multitude of necessary functions, often combining the roles of ticket office, gift shop, toilet facilities, café and interpretation information within a single multi-purpose building. In some cases, such as areas of natural beauty or wilderness, they need to be almost invisible, while for attractions in less sensitive areas the priority is to be eye-catching and unique – but in every case they are tasked with capturing something of the spirit of the venue.

The Skamlingsbanken visitor centre in Kolding, Denmark, marks a place of historical significance, known throughout the country for the protests, public meetings and celebrations that took place there over the centuries. A new visitor centre was needed to provide a rest stop linking a multitude of footpaths and walking trails, and to raise awareness of the historical and cultural importance of the region. But its environmentally sensitive location, in a grazing area full of rolling hills and rare flora and fauna, meant that an intrusive building was out of the question.

Architect CEBRA won a competition to create a 500 sq m centre with facilities including a café, shop, exhibition space and teaching facilities, with a design buried under the ground and accessed by two circular cuts, causing so little disruption to the environment that cows continue to graze on its turfed roof. While the main structure was cast from concrete on site, a material chosen to regulate the temperature of the structure, internally it is filled with earthy colours and textural local materials, including wood and stone.

Thy National Park visitor centre in Northern Jutland, Denmark, is built among the dunes, with an entrance that acts as a funnel to draw in tourists Size: 700 sq m Architect: LOOP Client: Thy National Park Engineer: LB Consult Landscape: SLA. Image Credit: Rasmus Hjortshoj/Coast

Carsten Primdahl, partner and architect at CEBRA, described the design as ‘an architectural interpretation of the glacial landscape’, adding: ‘It is not a destination itself, but part of an overall narrative. The building is a portal to the significant history and the local nature and forms a natural starting point for hikes in the area.’ It was completed last year and won the Kolding Municipality Architecture Award.

Architect LOOP had some similarities of approach with its design for the visitor centre at Thy National Park in Northern Jutland, Denmark. Another architectural competition winner, the 700 sq m centre, completed last year, was also formed of cast-in-place concrete, semi-buried into the dune landscape of the National Park. Here the concrete walls form a sheltered space, funnelling visitors naturally into the centre where they can find out more about the unique landscape.

‘We won the architectural competition in 2019 with a building that met the client’s ambition for a visitor centre whose architecture gently nudges its visitors to enter and explore the park,’ explained partner and architect at LOOP, Morten Nymann. The building provides both a shelter from, and is sheltered by, the surrounding environment, with visitors able to walk around and even over the building as it nestles among the dunes. Inside, huge windows and skylights ensure that the harsh weather outside is celebrated in all its beauty or ferocity.

In the equally sometimes windswept landscape of Speyside in Scotland, RSHP (formerly Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners) also chose to utilise a green roof for the undulating structure of the new combined distillery and visitor centre for The Macallan whisky, designed to call to mind historic Scottish earthworks as well as the rolls of the landscape itself. The premium whisky had been made on the site since 1824, but owner Edrington wanted a new building that would not only enable it to increase production, but also welcome visitors to learn about the brand. The elegant 14,800 sq m complex, sitting discreetly in the designated Area of Grand Landscape Value from a distance, yet stunning on approach, has since won a string of awards, including World Architecture Festival Winner 2019 and RIAS Award for Scotland 2019.

The Macallan Distillery & Visitor Experience, Speyside, Scotland, has won awards for its use of wood and takes inspiration from traditional earthworks Size: 14,800 sq m Architect: RSHP Client: Edrington Engineer: Arup Construction: Robertson Construction Landscape: Gillespies Lighting Design: Speirs + Major Interiors: Atelier Bruckner, Concept Bars, Modo+. Image Credit: Mark Power/Magnum Photos for The Macallan

In particular, its timber structure impressed judges, and it was overall winner in the Structural Timber Awards thanks to a roof that is one of the most complicated timber structures in the world, comprising 1,800 single beams, 2,500 different roof elements, and 380,000 individual components. ‘Natural materials – local stone, timber and the living meadow roof – as well as the landscaping design not only evoke the environment and ingredients of whisky production, but also serve to provide an atmospheric journey for the visitor,’ says a spokesperson for The Macallan.

While RSHP’s project covered 3.6 acres and cost £140m, more modest projects can also provide interesting challenges. There was a budget of just £700,000 for the 170 sq m Wildlife Discovery Centre at River Lee Country Park, designed by Andris Berzins + Associates for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Architect Nick Berzins explained: ‘The client brief provided by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority was relatively open. Paramount was the centre’s relationship to nature and in particular the variety of birds which use and nest on the Seventy Acres Lake.’

The Wildlife Discovery Centre, in the River Lee Country Park at Waltham Cross, is a compact, eco-friendly development with a unique bird-watching tower Size: 170 sq m Architect: Andris Berzins + Associates Client: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Consultant: Perfect Circle Project Manager/engineer: Pick Everard Contractor: Carmelcrest Construction Exhibition Design: 35percent Green Infrastructure Professional: Dusty Gedge. Image Credit: LVRPA

Berzins and his team spent many hours visiting bird hides and learning about wildlife in the area to inspire the design: ‘The central concept was aimed at integrating the new building into the landscape and offering habitats for animals and birds – in particular bitterns. The developed scheme used gabion walls filled with recycled concrete to encourage insect and small animals to use as their habitat, while bat and bird boxes were inserted into both the gabion walls and the extended roof eaves to provide ready homes in addition to the purpose-built kingfisher bank. The predominant use of timber as the construction and cladding material was a logical solution; both in its ecological and sustainable credentials; and also sympathetic to its location.’

While the authority desired a landmark building, the budget was a challenge, and for a while the unique bird-watching tower looked like a step too far, as it necessitated a steel structural frame to provide disabled lift access. Thankfully, funds were found and the curvaceous viewing area was completed. Berzins explained: ‘Randomised timber cladding of various sizes, widths and lengths was developed as a design concept reminiscent of the bark from a tree, with open joints between timbers enabling glimpses across the lake at various levels. It is not intended to be invisible, however, it should still be sympathetic to its surroundings while not disturbing nature. We believe we have designed a building that brings nature together with the human world, without ignoring differences or challenges, but tries to harmonise and integrate. The building over time will change colour, more vegetation will envelope the roof and surroundings, but it will not disappear. Its intention is to be a landmark and encourage visitors, but to do it with a sympathetic approach. The birds and wildlife will judge.’

The Viewing Tower at Sutton Hoo allows visitors to the National Trust property at Woodbridge, Suffolk, to better appreciate the unique site’s archaeology Size: 990 sq m Architect: Nissen Richards Studio Client: National Trust Project Manager / Cost Consultant: AECOM Engineer: Price & Myers Main contractor: Vinci Construction UK Ltd Landscape Consultant: Terra Firma Landscape Consultancy Lighting design: Arup. Image Credit: Gareth Gardner

Another visitor centre tower has just won the RIBA East Award 2022, but this time its purpose was to view archaeology rather than wildlife. Sutton Hoo tower, designed by Nissen Richards Studio for the National Trust, was an addition to the existing 2003 visitor centre and enabled visitors to see from above, for the first time, how the famous burial mounds fit into the landscape.

Director Jim Richards explained that given the sensitive nature of the setting – not only a scheduled monument but also within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and on the edge of an SSSI – the design approach had to consider the location of the tower, the form, massing and materiality. ‘The tower was quite a controversial proposal in terms of the physical impact on archaeology, the potential visual impact on the wider landscape and also the need to fully respect the sensitivity of the burial ground itself,’ he says. Despite that, his company resisted the temptation to conceal the building.

Bosjes Estate shop and deli in Western Cape, South Africa, is largely underground and surrounded by a trellis with echoes of traditional enclosures in the region Size: 750 sq m Architect: Steyn Studios Project architect: Meyer & Associates Landscape: Square One Structural engineer: Grobler & Associates Consulting Engineers Main Contractor: GVK-Siya Zama Construction Façade and Gridshell Consultants: Arup (SA) Gridshell Structural Engineer: Henry Fagan & Partners. Image Credit: Dave Southwood

Instead, the raw finishes of acid-washed steel and charred larch timber slats were chosen to interact with the surrounding trees to gradually reveal the structure as visitors approached. ‘We use the term “contemporary yet complementary” a lot in our work – the understanding of the significance of an existing building or site is paramount to ensure that a balanced approach is taken. However, we like to be bold in our approach – we don’t look to “blend-in” or apologise for our architecture – but we do want to remain honest and respectful of context,’ says Richards.

At the Bosjes Estate in Western Cape, South Africa, architect Coetzee Steyn of Steyn Studios had previously created the iconic white-winged Bosjes Chapel. With the popularity that had brought to the estate, the client came back with the request for a gift shop and café, which left him with the tricky challenge of creating a building that would complement but not attempt to compete with his previous masterpiece. ‘We inadvertently created our own context,’ Steyn says. ‘The approach in the second phase was to hand the reigns back to the landscape, but at the same time still provide a touch of interest; more like an adornment to the landscape – a piece of architectural jewellery.’

Desert X Al Ula Visitor Centre in Saudi Arabia is a modest building taking inspiration from walled date gardens and historic rock tombs. Size: 244 sq m Architect: KWY.studio Client: Royal Commission for Al Ula Project management: Aecom Contractor: Nesma. Image Credit: Colin Robertson

Desert X Al Ula Visitor Centre in Saudi Arabia is a modest building taking inspiration from walled date gardens and historic rock tombs. Size: 244 sq m Architect: KWY.studio Client: Royal Commission for Al Ula Project management: Aecom Contractor: Nesma. Image Credit: Colin Robertson

Steyn worked with Square One Landscape Architects to create 750 sq m of space across two buildings in sunken, amphitheatre-like spaces within a lush garden, linking the original manor house and the chapel into a coherent whole. Each of the buildings is partially underground, encircled by decorative oak or metal trellises that have echoes of traditional enclosures once used by the San indigenous people in the region, as well as the thatched truss homes of early Dutch settlers. As the gardens mature, the trellises will be overgrown with climbing plants, creating a constantly changing biophilic landscape. Small but perfectly formed, the Desert X Al Ula Visitor Centre, Saudi Arabia, is just 250 sq m, containing a café, WC, information centre and a shady place to rest a while from the desert sun. Created by Portugal-based KWY.studio to provide facilities for visitors to an outdoor art exhibition, just like Steyn’s visitor centre, it needed to be a modest presence. ‘We were mindful that, while visible in the landscape, the structure should be introverted, not challenge the art, the main focus of the exhibition,’ explained Luise Marter from the studio. ‘As we were asked to design, develop and build a structure within a short period of time, we immediately started our design process in what became an intense two-week period of testing various typologies, scales and functional arrangements,’ she says. ‘We found inspiration in the modest vernacular structures of walled date plantations, usually rectangular in shape with large, centrally aligned gates and palm tree crowns peaking above the sand coloured walls.

We were also impressed by Hegra, not far from Al Ula, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site with its monumental rock-cut tombs that house clear, carved void spaces defined by the mass of cut stone.’

The final result was a modest, white building with a central courtyard, described by Marter as: ‘A desert structure designed to be in dialogue with its surroundings while keeping the contrast between the natural and built environment. The circular roof opening creates a particular atmosphere – a perfect shape framing the rocks and the sky.’

While the role of most visitor centres is to be the architectural equivalent of the bridesmaid – a useful and attractive presence that doesn’t detract from the main star of the show – in some cases, they are required to be iconic in their own right – like the Penguin Parade visitor centre at Phillip Island Nature Parks near Melbourne, Australia. While tourists love to view the famous March of the Penguins at twilight, the visitor experience was often crowded and short, and the client wanted a building that would persuade visitors to come earlier and stay longer. The challenge was accepted by Australian architect Terroir, which created an exhilarating £3.3m star-shaped building that architect Scott Balmforth describes as sitting ‘at the nexus between three landscapes: dunes, headland and wetland, linking these landscapes like a brooch’. The 4,950 sq m, zinc-clad building opened in 2019 to much acclaim and a variety of architectural awards.

Or on a smaller scale, take the Port of Rotterdam Harbour Experience Centre designed by MVRDV and due to open in 2024. Perhaps a family day out to discover more about Europe’s largest port might not be at the top of most people’s idea of a fun excursion, but when it involves exploring a stack of five rotated exhibition spaces that channel a haphazard pile of colourful shipping containers, suddenly the whole idea seems a lot more enjoyable. The energy-neutral building, made from largely recycled materials, is powered by 266 solar panels and its own windmill.

Penguin Parade visitor centre at Phillip Island, Australia, is a stunning star-shaped building that links the landscape together like a brooch and persuades tourists to stay longer Size: 4,950 sq m Architect: Terroir Client: Phillip Island Nature Parks Engineers: Stantec, AS James Landscape: Tract Consultants. Image Credit: Ohn Gollings/Peter Bennetts

‘We think of the Harbour Experience Centre as a machine to reveal the incredible world of the port,’ stated MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. ‘It’s low-cost, it’s stripped back, you can see some of the building’s structure when you’re inside. But it therefore does its job almost ruthlessly – just like the machinery of the port itself. Every part of the design is geared towards engaging people and then educating them about their surroundings. In that way, it not only teaches people about the Port of Rotterdam, but envelops them in the spirit of the port itself.’

This idea of being sucked into the very essence of the attraction through the power of the design itself, couldn’t be clearer than in two projects in Australia and China – one where visitors will learn about marine life in the belly of a giant whale, and the other in which visitors to a winter sports direct find their feet inside a series of giant ‘ice cubes’.

Busselton Jetty in Perth, Western Australia, should eventually have a new visitor attraction at the end of its 2km pier to promote education and awareness of the marine environment. A small existing underwater observatory had been outgrown, so UK architect baca was appointed to create a design for the country’s largest marine observatory, to put the tourist attraction back on the map. Previously due to open at the end of this year, thanks to Covid it has been deferred to allow more fundraising. Shaped like a giant whale, using bio-receptive concrete to attract barnacles and algae to graft on to its skin, the visitor centre will become a true ambassador for marine life. ‘The requirement was to deliver something iconic,’ says baca.

It doesn’t come more iconic than The Xinxiang Cultural Tourism Center by Zone Of Utopia / Qiang Zou + Mathieu Forest Architecte that is more of a sculpture than a building, with 12,149 sq m of space in nine cubes of printed glass and steel, stacked and cantilevered into a casual tumble. Mathieu Forest described it: ‘By day and by night, it is a lighthouse that rises above the surrounding buildings. Its light attracts visitors and creates a landmark for the entire neighbourhood. At night, the facades are fully illuminated and light up the surroundings and the building radiates a uniform glow that irresistibly catches the eye.’

That probably sums up what all these projects have in common – whether they are 170 sq m or 12,149 sq m, they all irresistibly catch the eye, and in doing so, serve their purpose of drawing in visitors and keeping them wanting to stay there.