£1.6m visitor centre unveiled at Dawyck Botanic Garden
19 May 2008
Simpson & Brown Architects
RIAS Best Building in Scotland Award Finalist 2008
A new £1.6m state-of-the art visitor centre has opened its doors
at Dawyck Botanic Garden, near Stobo, in the Scottish Borders. Funded
by the Scottish Government and Scottish Borders Enterprise, the building
is launched during the 30th anniversary year of Dawyck coming into the
care of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and is the first bespoke
facility of this nature within the organisation’s four Gardens.
Officially opened on Wednesday, May 14, by Scottish Government Cabinet
Minister for the Environment Richard Lochhead, the building is intended
to both improve RBGE’s ability to engage with members of the public
and to bring added value to an important Borders tourist attraction, as
Director of Horticulture, Dr David Rae, explained: “Dawyck is a wonderful
Garden and the staff have worked really hard to develop the landscape
and collections since it was gifted to the nation in 1978. As visitor
numbers increased over the years it became increasingly obvious that our
facilities were failing to match the quality of the Gardens around them.
Therefore, with an increased focus on improving the experience of our
visitors, we took the decision that Dawyck should be the first of our
Gardens to benefit from enhanced facilities”.
Dr Rae’s comments were echoed by Dawyck Curator David Knott, who
commented: “This facility is an essential element of the continuing
evolution of Dawyck as a botanic garden. While our key function is as
a research and conservation institute, we also exist as a key tourist
attraction in the area and, therefore, we must to provide our visitors
with the best possible experience. This, in turn, also creates an opportunity
to explain more about the work of RBGE in a relaxed and informal setting”.
Designed by Simpson & Brown Architects of Edinburgh and developed
by Borders Construction, the building sets out to be a model of environmental
sustainability. Floored with heat-retaining blue limestone, the interior
is enhanced by oak frames, structural columns and ceiling beams. The facility
also enjoys the additional features of an external copper wall, designed
to shimmer gently within the natural light of Dawyck’s stunning arboretum,
and attractive copper rain catchers and down pipes. All this is topped
by an attractive, insulating roof, planted with a carpet of sedums. Efficient
under-floor heating is driven by a biomass boiler, fuelled by wood chips
sourced from Buccleuch Estates, housed in the nearby workshops.
Richard Lochhead + Curator David Knott
In celebration of its opening season, the visitor centre plays host to
With the Grain – The Life and Legacy of Tim Stead, a tribute to the
life and legacy of borders craftsman and philosopher Tim Stead. First
staged at the Edinburgh Garden in 2005, this stunning exhibition of wood
has continued to evolve under the guidance of Maggy Stead and her Borders-based
team. Its latest carnation, designed specifically for the intimate space
of the Dawyck Studio, includes an impressively vast array of trademark
Stead pieces, from the majestic Skeleton King’s Chair to the intricate
Mask, Mime, Mummy.
Head of Visitor Services Alan Bennell, has led the team responsible for
interpreting the visitor centre and securing the Stead exhibition explained:
“The exhibition is complemented by a suite of exquisite furniture,
specially commissioned for the space from the workshop of Tim Stead –
a true living legacy and a most appropriate way to furnish a visitor centre
for such a renowned woodland Garden”.
Scottish Architecture
Dawyck Botanic Garden, Stobo, Peeblesshire, is one of the four National
Botanic Gardens of Scotland, part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
It is open to the public daily from February 1 to November 30.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific research institution
with a world-wide reputation for its expertise in the study of plants
and their diversity. As well as three Regional Gardens – at Benmore,
Argyll; Dawyck, Peeblesshire and Logan, Galloway - it operates several
field stations around the world and has specialists working in more than
40 countries.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a Charity registered in Scotland
(No SC007983)
World Architecture : e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
Dawyck Botanic
Garden architects - Simpson & Brown
Burns Museum
Comments / photos for the Dawyck Botanic Garden page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
Dawyck Botanic Garden Building
- page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt