Black Country Living Museum

Our shortlisted design for the visitor centre of an outdoor museum in Britain's first industrial landscape takes the form of a simple shed, reminiscent of the great age of tram, bus and train transport in this country. The single volume space provides easy orientation and an immediate welcome.

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Client:	Public
Type:	Civic & Culture
Value:	£500k-10million
Date:	2017
Size:	1000-10,000sqm
Status:	Competition Entry
Location:	Dudley, United Kingdom
Awards:

The single elegant building with clear views in and out creates a sense of suspense and anticipation for the arriving visitor, and sits at the high point of the falling site to maximise the views. The column free internal entrance level space provides un-obstructed connection through the entire space and out towards the rest of the Black Country Living Museum.

We have proposed a series of structural brick piers in two lines that frame the entrance to the building and which support flying steel trusses across the space in between. This creates a simple diagram where the main central, open, flexible space can accommodate big exhibitions, functions and a large number of visitors and creates a very adaptable building. At the sides, along the length of the building, we proposed a series of smaller subsidiary spaces within the structural piers that can accommodate areas such as private offices, kitchen and serveries, WC’s and changing areas.

Taking advantage of the change in levels the building provides a single large roof that sits comfortably within the landscape.