Low impact, Great experience

The one storey, multi accessible, gently deepened visitor centre offers up-close experiences of the Great Fen and grand vistas from the panorama deck.

This proposal positions the visitor centre in the middle of the future Great Fen, on the rim of water and land. The centre will be a node in the network of walkways through the landscape. The building is deepened 1.20 meters into the fen, changing the visitor’s perspective and bringing them in close contact with the natural surroundings. On approach to the centre, the roofline is on or below the horizon. On walks through the landscape the horizon therefore always is continuous.

The visitor centre is the focal starting point for exploring the Great Fen. The building is designed to become a subtle sustainable addition to the landscape, enhancing the Great Fen experience. The visitor centre’s panorama deck is just as flat as the surrounding landscape. Standing almost 2 meters above the landscape the visitors are offered grand unobstructed vistas in all directions. The visitor centre’s interior organization is based on an open plan configuration, putting the visitors in the middle of the landscape. It also offers great flexibility in the programming of the visitor centre, now and in the future.