Interpretive designer selected for Giant's Causeway 'fit-out'

An interpretive designer has been selected to carry out the £2.7 million "fit-out" of the interpretive and education areas of the new Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre.

Peter Higgins and James Dibble from Land Design Studio in Kew, London will work alongside the winning architect of the new Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre, Roisin Heneghan, in the development of the facilities.

Land Design Studio, selected from a high quality field of designers, has previously been contracted to provide interpretive design solutions for a number of projects across the world including new visitor facilities at the Gateway to Petra in Jordan.

In the UK, they have provided solutions at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall and the National Railway Museum in York.

The next stage of the project will see Giant's Causeway Visitor Facilities Limited appoint a professional design team to develop the detailed design and submit a planning application for the facilities.

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

An exhibition showing all of the entries into the architectural competition is currently running for two weeks in Moyle District Council Offices.

Tourism Minister, Angela Smith, congratulated the winning company and said: "Having looked at the pedigree of the winning interpretive designers I am extremely optimistic that the new visitor facilities will be acclaimed by local and international visitors alike. The qualities that Land Design Studio will bring to the design team will no doubt result in a state of the art visitor facility."

A capital budget of £2.7 million has been set aside for the fit-out (including interpretation and education) of the new facilities.

The expected capital budget for the entire work is £8.5 million, though this figure excludes professional fees.

The interpretive designer will work with the architects for the new facilities, Heneghan-Peng Architects from Dublin.

(SP/KMcA)