Helmsley Castle

The new visitor centre at Helmsley Castle, for client English Heritage, lays testament to the unique combination of historic buildings expertise and contemporary design talent held within Buttress.

Helmsley Castle itself is a Scheduled Ancient Monument containing several individually listed Grade I structures originating in the early 12th century and still dominating the adjacent town. The site also sits within a conservation area and the North York National Park. The new visitor centre fulfils a number of different criteria by remaining sensitive to its environment (physical and functional) significantly improving disabled access to the monument, plus providing first class contemporary visitor and interpretative facilities.

The design rationale centres on the provision of a gateway building that is prominent to the visitor, whilst being unobtrusive from within the monument itself. Oriented to the centre of the historic site, this elegant building is a quarter-circle in plan with structural glass making up the curved façade and central portion of the rear wall. This welcomes visitors, confirming their arrival, and drawing their attention into the site with uninterrupted views of the keep and earthworks beyond.

Constructed of predominately traditional materials, including stone walls, lead roof, and cedar boarding, the building is designed on a radial structural steel frame which keeps internal spaces flexible and light. The materials chosen are sensitive to their surrounds and reinforce the subtlety of the visitor centre’s design which enables the building to remain discreet when viewed from within the site.