Design Brief
The Pavilion provides exhibition and interpretive spaces
for workshops, lectures and demonstrations relating to
the park as well as providing a base for a café and
toilet facilities. In addition to these, the building will
contain accommodation for the Park Manager, Park Rangers
and Information Officers. These facilities are provided
to encourage a wide range of people to visit not only the
new pavilion, but also the park.
Site Context
Paxton’s proposal for residential development around
the perimeter of Birkenhead Park was designed in such a
way as to draw the attention from each plot in towards
the centre of the parkland. This provided special
and directed views, offering the idea of the park being
part of each plot. Like the original dwellings, the
new Pavilion has been positioned within the landscape to
look into the park and own the space beyond its boundary.
Building Form
The building has been orientated southwards to make best
use of the ambient energy from the sun and address the
park beyond, offering views and a relationship with the
surroundings.
The building form as well as being glazed to the south,
is curved to create a welcoming entrance space. This semi
circular form in turn allows the building to provide a
softened, curved façade to the park boundary, which
at the same time accentuates the height to the courtyard
entrance space. The half rotunda suits a natural
roof form, which responds to the surrounding context, higher
and more important for the entrance to the park, and lower
and subtler to the other. The cross section through
the building reflects the hierarchy of the uses inside.
The exhibition and cafe areas are located at the front
of the building behind the glass elevation to create activity
in a light and fresh environment. A tall curved planted
wall defines the public spaces, separating them from the
secondary rooms, and providing a visual connection with
the park outside.
Materials
The main structure is steel, which has echoes of Paxton’s
own buildings, and associations with steel ships from Birkenhead’s
Cammell Laird yard. The roof is covered in zinc, which
with its silver grey appearance is reminiscent of a glasshouse,
and will perform well against the elements in this open
setting. The roughcast render to the north elevation
has been painted in a light stone colour to reflect the
new stone plinths of the railings around the site.
The upper section of glazing to the south facing elevation
incorporates lightweight aluminium solar shading. Detailed
sun path analysis was carried out by ARUP's to calculate
how the temperature within the main South facing spaces
would vary over the course of the day and at different
times of year.
Opening
The building was officially opened by TRH The Duke
of Gloucester on 10th April and is due to open to
the public in mid-summer 2006.
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