Calanais Visitor Centre Starts on Site!

We are delighted to announce that works have commenced on-site for the Calanais Standing Stones Visitor Centre on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.

Since 2014 jmarchitects have been working with the Standing Stones Trust (Urras nan Tursachan) to develop an extension to the Calanais Visitor Centre to further promote its position as a premier visitor attraction for the Outer Hebrides. The 5000 year-old Calanais Standing Stones are one of Scotland’s most magnificent and best-preserved Neolithic monuments; the trust are seeking to develop the visitor centre to enhance the experience of both the local community and visitors from around the world.

Developed through an iterative process with the Trust, the plans include the expansion of the existing Visitor Centre, increasing the interpretation offer fourfold, expansion of the car park, including soft overflow, along with landscaping works designed to bring monument and Centre together as a single entity.

The approach is to simply design a building that feels like it belongs to this special place. The proposal aims to develop a vernacular language seeking to honour the local indigenous architecture. A robust yet dignified palette of materials creates variety in elevational form and character, a play between old and new appropriate for the island setting.

“jmarchitects have been working on the project for a number of years supporting the community and the Trust. We are delighted to continue working with UNT to deliver their vision for the site. It is such an interesting project to work on and offers the opportunity to design a visitor centre that is sympathetic to its landscape condition whilst providing a supportive experience for those visiting the Stones.”

               - Ian Alexander, Director, jmarchitects

Credit: Ian Alexander, jmarchitects