SCALA Civic Building of the Year Competition, 2004
Winner
Hampshire County Council: Romsey
Sir Harold Hilliers Visitor and Education Centre
The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens contain one of the greatest collections of hardy trees and shrubs in the world and is an important centre for education and conservation. By 2000 its popularity was such that access, circulation and visitor facilities had to be improved to cope with the 90,000 visitors a year.
The new centre was designed by Hampshire’s architects in collaboration with Landscape architects Colvin and Moggridge who had previously prepared a detailed master plan. It contains a main foyer and ticket space, a restaurant, shop, toilet facilities and offices, a small laboratory, and classrooms/lecture theatre.
The low roofline with its delicate upward canted edge gives visitors a larger view of the skyline, and enhanced views of the gardens beyond. The roof design also allows the three pavilions, with their individual requirements for enclosure and open space, to be unified. The restaurant roof extends beyond the north wall to give shelter to a terrace. On the northern side of the courtyard a pool creates a subtle natural boundary to prevent visitors from entering the garden without a ticket.
The structure comprises a series of inverted steel trusses which are connected to a single row of columns at 6.6m centres. The fabricators Allslade used XSteel software to create a 3-dimensional model of the structural members. This was then used to control the machines which cut and labelled each steel element in the erection sequence The trusses and their tubular spigots were factory welded, taken to site, and lowered onto the columns and connected by purlins.
The roof comprises terne-coated stainless steel with a cedar boarding soffit. Around the outside edges of the pavilions local Michelmersh bricks are used, with clerestorey windows above.
Over the next few years the new tree planting, and extensive landscape works will have matured to further blur the boundaries between the gardens and the new centre.
Architects: Georgina Hall & Richard Gooden, Hampshire County Council
Quantity Surveyor:Dave Corcoran and Pauline Ayrton, Hampshire County Council
Structural Engineer: Price & Myers
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Chris Millet & Bruce McDermott, Hampshire County Council
Landscape Architect: Colvin & Moggridge
Special Consultants:Mike McCartney, Drainage Engineer
Main Contractor: Brazier
