WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM'S INNOVATIVE NEW 'GRIDSHELL' BUILDING SHORTLISTED FOR STIRLING PRIZE

The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum's innovative Downland Gridshell building has been short-listed for the Stirling Prize, the major annual award for British architecture. The judges said it was "an extraordinary building and a joy to visit."

 The curved structure, mirroring the South Downs landscape in which it sits, fulfils the Museum's objective to encourage modern building with integrity. The building, completed this summer, has already won a RIBA Architecture Award and been nominated for a Building Construction Industry Award.  Designed by Edward Cullinan Architects, London, with Buro Happold Engineers, Bath, this inspiring structure is the first major timber gridshell building in Britain and has caused great interest in the fields of architecture, engineering and the arts. It was officially opened by Sir Neil Cossons, chairman of English Heritage.

 The Downland Gridshell will be used as a building conservation workshop and Museum store. The process of timber framing will be on show in the Jerwood Gridshell Space where there will be training courses taking place. The artefact store houses an immensely varied rural collection.

 "The building is inclusive, accessible, innovative, (truly) sustainable and beautiful," said the judges. Despite its functional objective it had transcended that role to become an educational, social and community space. The context was as extraordinary as the building - the Museum's vision of history was informed by a vision of the continuity of the vernacular tradition.

 "Rather than construct a fake barn to house the storage and workshop space it needed, the Museum decided to commission a new work of architecture that would reflect the relevance of the vernacular tradition today. The project fostered creativity and exceptional craftsmanship. We felt it was ground-breaking and lovable."

 The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester, West Sussex is a leading international centre for historic buildings, attracting 140,000 visitors a year. For over 30 years it has rescued and preserved threatened 15th- 19th century buildings and artefacts that record the history of traditional rural life in the surrounding region of Kent, Sussex, Surrey and eastern Hampshire. The new 48m long structure will enable it to build further on its research, conservation and restoration programme and its reputation as a centre for excellence in building conservation training.

The £1.8 million project is supported by a £1,185m Heritage Lottery Fund grant and major support from the Jerwood, Mitford-Foulerton and Garfield Weston trusts.

The building is accessible to the public and daily tours provide information about its construction and uses.

A team of traditionally trained carpenters and timber boat-builders was employed by The Green Oak Carpentry Company Ltd, Liss, Hampshire, to construct the gridshell with E A Chiverton Ltd, Bognor Regis, as main contractors and Boxall Sayer, Bognor Regis, as project managers.

The original concept of an innovative modern building to take this unique regional museum forward into the 21st century belongs to the late Christopher Zeuner OBE as Museum director and his successor, Richard Harris, who said "The Downland Gridshell is a testament to architectural and building techniques of the early part of this century, as the Museum's historic building exhibits are to their own time. This exciting new space will enable us to extend our work in building conservation and rural life for the future."

The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum is a charitable trust independent of regular government funding and raises all its own income. Its collections have been recognised in the Government's Designation Scheme as of outstanding national and international importance.

The Museum is open daily from 10.30am - 6.00pm, with Downland Gridshell tours at 1.30 pm. General information can be obtained from the recorded information line - 01243 811348. Visit the Museum's website on www.wealddown.co.uk.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum is England’s leading museum of historic buildings and traditional rural life.  Over 45 historic buildings represent the homes and rural workplaces of the past 500 years in South East England. The Museum, which is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections, runs a lively programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts.  There is also a café using the Museum’s own produce and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information contact Operations Director Gail Kittle
Tel: 01243 811481
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: gkittle@wealddown.co.uk.

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