Work on First Light Pavilion by Hassell has started on site. The project, for the University of Manchester is set to complete in 2021. It will transform the visitor experience at the world famous Jodrell Bank Observatory, bringing radio astronomy principles and the stories of Jodrell Bank’s pioneering scientists to life for the thousands of people who visit the site every year.
First Light Pavilion will help transform the visitor experience into an inspirational journey of discovery through the site. The new pavilion is designed to capture the curiosity of space enthusiasts and communicate the scientific adventure, exploration and breadth of discovery within astronomy.
Home to one of the world’s largest and most powerful radio telescopes, the iconic Lovell Telescope, Jodrell Bank is at the forefront of using radio waves to explore deepest space. The Observatory, located in the heart of the Cheshire countryside in the North of England, has a world-leading reputation for scientific research, making ground-breaking discoveries in the fields of quasars, pulsars, gravitational lenses and satellite tracking.
In recognition of its internationally significant heritage, science and cultural impact, Jodrell Bank Observatory, which is set within an arboretum landscaped by the first Director of Jodrell Bank, Sir Bernard Lovell, was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in July last year. It has also been inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The Pavilion has been designed to celebrate both the site’s heritage and the very beginnings of radio astronomy and takes the form of a grass-covered dome, integrated into the surrounding landscape. Its circular shape responds to the arboretum and references both the shape and exact size of the 76.2m diameter dish of the Lovell Telescope. Designed to protect and enhance views across the site, the design continues the natural setting of the arboretum, where visitors can roam freely.
In addition to taking inspiration from the site itself, Hassell was influenced by a range of sculptures, structures and natural landforms from around the world, ranging from ancient monuments such as Newgrange in Ireland, to the renowned circular Fuji Kindergarten in Tokyo.
The Pavilion will be arranged over a single storey, contained within a concrete shell structure, which when exposed on the Pavilion interior will offer a sweeping plane of concrete, curving around the exhibition and auditorium core. The Pavilion’s entrance will be a dramatic curved concrete screen with its axis due south to reflect the arc of the sun. Two separate screen walls guide visitors to the entrance initiating a sense of exploration and discovery. A single glass slot is cut out of the south axis, illuminating a meridian line cast onto the floor within the minimal, contemporary entrance space.
At the heart of the building will be the exhibition and the auditorium, encased within a cylindrical ‘drum’ in the centre of the mound. Hassell has worked closely with the University’s astronomers and exhibition designers, Casson Mann, on the design of the highly immersive circular exhibition space and auditorium. Inside the space, visitors will circulate clockwise through a series of interactive displays which will tell the story of the site, the history of radio astronomy and modern astrophysics, the dawn of the Space Age and the creation of the Lovell Telescope. The exhibition re-uses sections of the original 1957 observation dish from the Lovell Telescope to form the backdrop and projection surfaces, creating a unique visitor experience.
The 150-seat capacity auditorium ‘pod’ will feature a screen that follows the shape of the drum shell and curves over the seats to create a dynamic and immersive projection space. The multi-media room will house special exhibitions and cater for night-sky projections, as well as educational lectures and live links to other science facilities. Exiting the drum will give way to a café and circular courtyard, cut into the mound so that its orientation aligns to the First Light’s tracking of Russia’s Sputnik at 102° from Azimuth. As visitors leave the Pavilion, an historical avenue of trees will frame the giant Lovell Telescope in the distance, inviting them to explore further across the site.
Given the location of the building and its potential impact on the existing ecology, environmentally sustainable design forms a key element of the project. It will represent an energy efficient scheme, in harmony with its natural surroundings, with a high performing envelope for insulation, air tightness, and surface water attenuation.
Hassell Principal, Julian Gitsham, commented:
“The completion of the First Light Pavilion will mark a new era for Jodrell Bank. It will introduce new generations to the rich history of the site and the wonders of radio astronomy,” Julian said.
“The Observatory team has been totally committed to developing the site in a way that is sensitive to its heritage, yet transformational in its future impact. To have been part of this team is an exceptional opportunity for Hassell. We have embraced the challenge to push the boundaries of design to deliver what will undoubtedly be, a truly exceptional experience for all who visit this remarkable site.”
Professor Teresa Anderson, Director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre at the University of Manchester said:
‘We are delighted that construction work is about to begin on our visionary new First Light Pavilion. The new gallery will allow us to tell the story of Jodrell Bank in a way that is in keeping with our status as the UK’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architecture of the building itself is tied to the sky, in a way that expresses humanity’s long journey towards understanding our place in the Universe’.
Hassell recently completed the SKA Global Headquarter, also located at Jodrell Bank. The SKA Organisation is an international science project that operates in the field of radio astronomy and is headquartered at the Observatory.