Comments on: Stonehenge Visitor Centre by Denton Corker Marshall

By: Gerald Peake

Gerald Peake — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:20:00 +0000

Thank you for your explanation, but this only illustrates my point of calling the visualisation a ‘con’. How can people decide on a building if real life elements are missing?

The coach park is probably huge and unsightly, potentially the biggest blight on the landscape, how can people form an opinion if these things are left out? Signs may not be the main focus for selling the concept but they will hit you in the eye on your first visit, good or bad?

I do not blame the architects but the commissioners. To get a balanced view of the proposal, all should be included in any visualisation. I only added the rain and wind element, as looking at the visualisation the canopy and uprights look prone to decay and rust. Maybe this is intended, and probably the best way for the building to blend into the surroundings.

By: arne

arne — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:29:00 +0000

I’m afraid the coach parking is outside the rendered area, but it’s there. The toilets are in the box on the right (in the last image) and the giftshop/cafe is on the left. Signs in different languages aren’t legible in the renders and probably weren’t the main focus, and the new visitor centre is located further away from the stones than the current one so you can’t see the henge in the renders either. This is done out of respect of the site.

Hope this clears things up for you.

By: John R

John R — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Absolutely spot-on! There is not enough information here, especially in regards the most important aspect of the new building, its relationship to the existing site. It’s a shame that our comments and discussion about this project have to focus on such petty issues when there is such a great opportunity here to have a debate about the role of new construction in the preservation of historical monuments.

By: Gerald Peake

Gerald Peake — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:05:26 +0000

This is yet another architectural 'con' render. Where are the coaches (as opposed to a few cars parked in a field)? Where are the shops and toilets? Where are the signs in many languages? Where is the torrential rain and howling winds? Where are the Wagamama and Costa Coffee signs? Where is the Henge? This kind of 'visitor centre' is ruining England and I don't blame the architects but the commissioners, who have obviously been fooled by another 'glam' set of illustrations. If the majority of the British public knew this was happening, there would be riots! You want positive design thinking? Well… it does look rather flimsy:)

By: zeeman

zeeman — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 02:24:00 +0000

Yeah, their original was really good, totally different to this. As for the racist chest thumping of anonymous above, come to Australia, we are currently awash with British firms doing local work. All international now.