Create Engineering
Skip to contentMenu
Content
Woodhorn Internal
Woodhorn ExternalWoodhorn: Northumberland Museum, Archives and Country Park
- Date: 2002 - 2006
- Architect: RMJM
- Client: Northumberland County Council and Wansbeck District Council
- Location: Morpeth, UK
- Sector: Commercial and Leisure
- Value: £13.0 million
This unusual project sought to combine a new County Archives with a Mining and Social History Museum on the site of the redundant Woodhorn Colliery, part of which is now a country park. The site contains twelve listed buildings and the pithead itself is designated as a Scheduled Monument.
The split-level radial form of the new building is tucked into the landscape beside the site’s centre of gravity; the pithead structures. Above, a dramatic, sculptured roof form reflects the mechanical cutting that once took place underground, evoking the danger and energy of the coal industry. The external materials interplay between the surrounding natural environment - green roofs, and the man-made insertion - stone gabions. The local stone waste used for the gabion fillings was selected to act as an interpretation in itself of the mining process, creating tactile strata.
The roof over the main entrance is formed by 7 tapered steel roof blades each varying in length and pitch which cantilever a minimum of 15m up to a maximum of 22m. The tapered section varies in depth from 1750mm at the support to 200mm at the tip. The main internal span forms the column free exhibition space. The roof is supported by triangular steel feature columns, which also taper in section. The building is split into lower ground floor and upper ground floor by a centrally located retaining wall that is 5m in height. The 5 archive stores to the rear of the building are constructed from reinforced concrete walls, which provide 4-hour fire resistance and are also the main stability element of the structure. Large galvanised angles formed from flat plate are used to support the gabion cladding to the main elevations.