Design unveiled for Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre

The winning design for the planned new Visitors’ Centre at the Giant’s Causeway has been unveiled following an international architectural competition.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Peter Hain announced the winner, selected from over 200 entries, as Roisin Heneghan of Heneghan Peng Architects.

The planned building will merge into the natural contours of the landscape ensuring the horizon is not disturbed by the building or its car park.

The new visitor facilities will be owned by Giant’s Causeway Visitor Facilities Limited, a subsidiary company of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

A further separate international competition to select a designer for the interpretation and fitting out of the exhibition area within the new centre is currently underway. This is expected to be completed in November.

It is anticipated that the whole project team will be in place by December, so that work can begin on the detailed design early in the New Year.

Northern Ireland Tourist Board Chairman Tom McGrath said: “Having now seen the winning design I am extremely optimistic that the new visitor facilities will be acclaimed by local and international visitors alike.

"The design meets the needs of this sensitive World Heritage Site; it also promises to be a state of the art visitor facility which will enhance greatly the visitor experience at the Giant’s Causeway.”

In all 201 entries, from architects across the world, were submitted to the international jury.

Almost two thirds of the entries came from outside the UK, from as far a field as Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Namibia, South Africa, the United States and from all over Europe.

First Prize went to Roisin Heneghan, Hennegan Peng Architects, Dublin; Second Prize was awarded to Riina Palva, Architectural Verstas, Helsinki; and third prize went to Matos Gameiro + Carlos Crespo Arquitectos Lda, Lisbon.

Three firms received honourable mentions: Jun Aoki Associates,Tokyo; Carlos Sousa Dias & Nuno Santos, Portugal; and Jennifer Carré, Paris.

The international competition was conducted under the auspices of the Paris based Union of International Architects (UIA) which represents over a million architects throughout the world through national architectural associations.

The seven jury members were: Juhani Uolevi Pallasmaa, Finland (Jury President;) Mario Cucinella, Italy (UIA Representative;) Peter Hunter, UK; Aidan McGrath, NI; Duncan Lewis, France; Jochen Brandi, Germany; and Bruce Robinson (NI).

Ray Payne of Locum Consulting was the Professional and Technical Advisor to the competition.

(SP/MB)