Design Competition for Proposed New Visitor Centre, Sherwood Forest

This was our submission for a recent limited competition for a Proposed New Visitor Centre in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire.

At Sherwood Forest, we feel that the visitor centre, whilst not distracting from a walk in the forest, should be a bold and memorable statement.

We felt we needed to make a route to the forest (and particularly the exciting prospect of a tree top walkway) which disguised the presence of the road, and yet was surrounded by trees.

We chose to place the building as a 'bridge building' across the road. In this location, the centre can be both a gateway to pedestrians entering the forest, but also to cars on the Swinecote Road travelling north. It would be possible therefore to cross the road into the forest without being aware of the presence of that road.

Clad in Corten externally, with its natural rusted patina, and lined in timber internally, the tower draws its influences from forest fire lookout towers, tree houses, nearby pit winding gear and gatehouse entrances, allowing the viewer to rise above the trees so that the distant extent of both the existing and former forest can be seen.