Old Wardour Castle Admissions Building

CWa were appointed to recommend improvements to the arrival and welcome sequence at the site, including the replacement of the existing ad hoc cluster of uninsulated, deteriorating and subsiding timber sheds. After condition appraisal and options analysis, it became clear the existing fabric had outlived its design life and would not be possible to retain. The challenge CWa posed themselves was to make a new architecture that spoke of this rich context in a quiet yet confidently contemporary way; a building that would showcase low embodied energy, high thermal efficiency, sensitivity to local flora and fauna, and a genuine public generosity within its modest budget. Their approach began with an interrogation of the Castle itself. Built in the 14th century as a ‘lightly fortified luxury residence’, this is a building of pomp and pageantry. The new building, stationed at the site’s boundary, becomes a politely dressed sentry guard: welcoming visitors in its uniformed finery. This translated into a simple larch cladding, with a touch of playful detail at both the parapet and column foot. Walking around the castle’s perimeter, a well retained ‘fortified’ façade thins to an open, picturesque ruin at the rear. This was a strong point of reference for the building’s plan: entirely closed on the boundary wall side, progressively thinning to a highly open canopy on the garden side; providing seating, shelter and new WC facilities. English Heritage demonstrated themselves to be a wholly enlightened, encouraging client: keen to promote exemplary sustainability, and to support a design approach seeking to connect contemporary visitors with this hugely significant heritage. Fine execution by the contracting team rounds off a diminutive yet ambitious scheme.