October 27 2016

Simpson & Brown have completed a new visitor centre for Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, on behalf of English Heritage to complement an upgraded museum building.

This saw an existing timber structure retained and adapted allowing a central hall to be inserted within the L-shaped plan which enabled facilities to be improved whilst enhancing the buildings presence amidst the ruined abbey.

In a statement Simpson & Brown said: “The new building is intended to act as a showcase for the abbey.  A single piece of carved stone from the abbey ruins is presented within the glass window as a visual taster for what lies beyond.  There is now a greater clarity for the visitor as the main arrival and orientation point within the site. The new hall is formed in engineered glulam spruce timber, coloured with a translucent white coating. This colour unifies both the timber and adjacent internal finishes while still allowing the natural appearance of the frame timbers to be appreciated.”

Taking the form of a series of arches which gradually splay to reveal new vistas of the abbey the building seeks to strike up a visual connection with the shattered columns and arches sitting in the landscape.

Photography by Giles Rocholl

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