Northumberland County Council
Ashington, Northumberland
Architect: RMJM
Structural Engineer: RMJM
Principal Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease
Woodhorn Mining Museum
This project combines 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 new visitors centre has a dramatic sculptured roof that reflects the mechanical cutting equipment that was used in the mining industry. It would have been all too easy to build a portal frame building to house the new facility however the architect has made full use of the links with the coal industry and used a mixed palette of materials to create something striking yet still fitting in with its surroundings. SH Structures fabricated and installed the unusual structural steel frame and roof that makes this building stand out from the crowd.
Gallery
