Winners revealed for ‘world railways museum’

Success for British firm in global design competition

UK ARCHITECTS have won an international competition to create the National Railway Museum’s new £16.5m Central Hall – a key element of the York attraction’s “masterplan” for the next five years.

Feilden Fowles, which is based in London, beat 75 other teams to the commission for the 48,000 sq ft building after the competition jury, chaired by Dame Mary Archer, praised the winning team’s proposal for its “elegant but functional design as well as its ambitious energy strategy”.

The building will celebrate and showcase the latest developments in railway technology, provide a “world-class” visitor entrance and be an “exemplar of low-carbon and sustainable architecture”.

Judith McNicol, director of the National Railway Museum, said: “The winning design centres around a beautifully crafted timber frame rotunda which, through the use of recycled and locally sourced materials, will dramatically reduce the museum’s carbon footprint.

“Feilden Fowles demonstrated a real sensitivity to the site’s railway heritage and to the historic character of the city of York.

“The building will play a vital role in linking the museum and will provide a focal point for the

wider York Central development. We were delighted to share all the finalists’ shortlisted design concepts both online and at the museum; this gave us a real sense of the incredible enthusiasm the public have for our vision to become the world’s railway museum.”

Inspired by the site’s former use as working railway buildings, the designs featured in the proposal reference the history of locomotive ‘roundhouses’ with the central two-storey rotunda. Clad in recycled copper and featuring high, glazed ceilings with timber radials, the building will attract visitors approaching from the city centre and York Station.

The proposal – which will be shaped by the museum and the winning team – dramatically reduces reliance on concrete and steel by creating a timber frame structure. A combination of “passive design principles” – those which take advantage of the climate to maintain a comfortable temperature – and active systems, including the use of recycled copper and local York stone, will reduce the site-wide operational

Judith McNicol, director of the National Railway Museum,. carbon footprint by 80 per cent. Central Hall will be the centrepiece of the museum’s transformational masterplan to create the ‘world’s railway museum’ and will include a spectacular 1,000 square metre gallery on the future of railway technology.

Feilden Fowles has a reputation for delivering projects in sensitive historic settings, according to the museum, and recently completed the Stirling Prize-shortlisted new visitor centre for the Yorkshire

Sculpture Park. Fergus Feilden, director, said: “We’re thrilled to win this nationally significant competition. The brief combined three of our passions – museum architecture, great railway architecture of the 19th century and working in Yorkshire. Central Hall is both a tremendous challenge and a unique opportunity to create a new face and connected experience for the museum. We can’t wait to start work with such a fantastic client.”

Feilden Fowles demonstrated a real sensitivity to the site’s railway heritage.