Knits together the historic fabric
Baynes and Mitchell Architects for Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust
Contract value: £8m
GIA: 2,750m²
These galleries allow the story of Chatham Dockyard to be told in its own historic buildings. A striking new visitor entrance, clad in black zinc, knits together the historic fabric either side. The steeper pitch roof was a bold move in conservation terms. It was the raised entrance and ramp that won the firm the architectural competition, and this unlocks the whole plan.
The entrance hall has a cathedral-like quality focused on a view over the dockyard. The museum element, in the refurbished spaces, is designed around a route that leads to the powerful discovery of the hidden timbers of a ship beneath the floorboards. The palette of black metal, blue limestone, board-marked concrete and composite timber is a response to the industrial language of the historic buildings and landscape.
Regional Conservation Award
See the other winners of the RIBA Regional Awards 2017 - South East