luca poian forms proposes timber-clad langley vale visitor center

luca poian forms proposes timber-clad langley vale visitor center
image © luca poian forms
all images courtesy of luca poian forms

italian studio luca poian forms has shared with us images of their submittal for the new visitor center in langley vale, england. located on an expansive green landscape buffering a dense reforestation area and the public street, the project utilizes a blend of contemporary technologies and assemblies that respect the agrarian vernacular established in the area, establishing two axes that respond to the site’s conditions. the program consists of a visitor hub, bathroom facilities, and assembly room in a structurally and spatially symmetrical structure.

in context
image © luca poian forms

the central datum bisecting the short axis of the building footprint greets visitors with glass walls and an inverted vaulted ceiling that allow clear views through the structure and back out to the landscape. the primary structure, which consists of the double-curve vaulted roof is made of locally sourced and FSC-certified timber panels CNC-milled to form the complex curves. the infill spaces in turn are built of more traditional methods- evenly spaces studs and joists attached to the vaulted ceiling to form the larger gathering areas. the ends of the structure featured full-height glass panels framed by the pitch roof and offer views of the park area. on the exterior, a rain screen of slender wooden slats provides protection for the structure beneath and establishes a skin that fits in with the local architecture and will naturally weather over time to camouflage into the natural environment.

entrance elevation
image © luca poian forms

“reminiscent of both a rural shed and a catenary vault, the project truly is an architectural hybrid of sorts. it expresses rich, unique, and unexpected spatial qualities with the soft curvature of its structure, in deliberate contradiction of its humble appearance of the outside.” – architect luca poian

main gathering room exhibiting the wooden structural systems
image © luca poian forms