St David's Visitor Centre

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority commissioned the architects to design a visitor and information centre for the city of St. David's. The proposal aims to ease traffic and other pressures associated with the city’s popularity as a tourist destination.

The visitor centre encloses a circular courtyard on its north-eastern side, with a stone tower adjacent to the approach road acting as a symbolic gateway to the city. The curved spine of the building, a 3.8m high stone wall, separates the main exhibition and information space from smaller service spaces. These smaller spaces are housed under a lower monopitch turf roof attached to the north.

The exhibition and information space is a simple open-plan space, with an oak-framed glazed wall overlooking the courtyard. The zinc roof is carried on glulam rafters which span between the spine wall and a row of tapered cast stone columns bordering the courtyard. These columns are fitted with circular oak benches to provide covered outdoor seating.

Naturally ventilated, daylit by clearstory north-lights and landscaped with native planting, the visitor centre advocates responsible attitudes towards the Pembrokeshire environment.