Evaluation
The Downland Gridshell is a building of contrasts; a structure that draws on modern design and technology whilst celebrating traditional carpentry and building techniques; a groundbreaking structure built to support the preservation of historic buildings; a new addition to the museum which, through the natural weathering of its cedar outer shell has already achieved a maturity which few modern buildings can boast.
The museum's vision was to create an inspirational structure. The combined dedication of the museum and the design team has delivered a building of international significance in an unlikely setting. The gridshell was the only one of its kind in the UK when constructed.
The real achievement is the relationship between the Gridshell and its surroundings. From outside, the result is a beautiful undulating form, reflecting the surrounding South Downs in its organic curves and natural materials. From inside, the latticed oak laths sweep the eye up and around the impressive double curvature of the vast inner space. This is a structure that has settled well into its surroundings. It is also unmistakably a linear successor to the many of the buildings collected at the museum, creating a modern, lightweight version of the timber frame and even using pegged mortise and tenon joints identical to those employed by medieval carpenters.
Environmental sustainability was a key focus for the building. Materials were sourced as locally as possible, although the timber slats were unavailable locally and had to be sourced from Normandy, they carried the advantage of being inherently resistant to insects and so did not need to be treated with toxic pesticides. Other timber was brought from plantations within 25 miles of the site, while most of the other materials on the site are low-impact, such as the local masonry. With the earth-mass heating, this has given it strong sustainability credentials.
The building does have some small flaws. When it was realised at a late stage of the construction process that the Gridshell space could be used for events, the brief was revised to require heating. This led to the installation of heating units, which are both inefficient and ugly, sitting uneasily against the curves of the shell. The box-like workshops within sit less comfortably in the upper hall than the outer structure does within the Downland landscape. The effects of the air-cooling system in the basement conservation store run counter to the need to maintain relative humidity for the preservation of the museum's historic artefacts. The museum and the architects have differed over the responsibility for these, with the museum feeling the designers were too focused on the structure, and the architects suggesting the brief changed too much. Perhaps the iterative design process needed for such an evolving structure is really to blame.
These are certainly acceptable faults for such a high quality structure, and the museum remains immensely proud of their innovative gridshell. It is not only an incredible feat of engineering, nor simply an impressive structure, but a testament to what can be achieved by a small organisation, with a small budget, whilst remaining true to a bold vision.
