Visitor Centre, Cambridgeshire, U.K

Pieris Architects

The Visitor Centre is designed to form an integral part of the evolving fenland landscape, addressing the aspirations and ambitions of the Great Fen future master plan.  Constructed out of stabilised rammed earth, the building grows metaphorically and literary out of the ground, using as raw material the soil that is going to be  excavated, re-used and processed in order to transform the existing  arable land into a fenland.  The plan layout, inspired by the morphology of the wings of insects and birds, creates dynamic internal spaces and allows nature to embrace the building, while the green landscaped roof and the sculptural feature of the staircase growing above it, host wildlife and encourage visitors to explore, learn and interact with the landscape.