It was built 2.5 km from the famous megalithic ensemble - the only one in the world built of cut stone and with preserved "crossbeams", on the very border of its protected zone. Nearby there is a new parking lot, and visitors can get to Stonehenge by "auto-trains" for 60 people each. The old visitor center, souvenir stalls and parking, which are extremely unattractive in appearance, were located much closer, and the transfer of all tourist activity to a new place will serve to preserve the monument.
In addition, a part of the A344 highway, which passed at a distance of less than a meter from the Heel Stone, protruding to the northeast of the main ring of the megalith, was closed. However, the A303 road, on which tourists arrive at Stonehenge, was not removed into the tunnel, as was originally intended, and therefore the stones still protrude against the background of rushing trucks.
A303 remained on the surface of the earth due to the fact that in 2007 the authorities decided to save "taxpayer money". For the same reason, the original project of the Denton Corker Marshall Visitor Center, monumental and in a tunnel-driven location, has been canceled. However, Australian architects were successful in a second competition - with a more modest and, in the opinion of many, much less interesting option, which has now been implemented.
The building is located in a hollow, at the bottom of which soil is poured - so as not to disturb the cultural layer during construction, for this reason, piles were also abandoned (although archaeologists did not find anything in this place). There are three rectangular volumes on the local sandstone platform. The largest, on a wooden frame and sheathed with chestnut planks, contains an interactive exhibition and utility rooms. The second, made of glass with a low iron content, is intended for a cafe, shop and educational center. Between them there is the smallest zinc one with ticket offices and an excursion bureau. But the key component of the image is not they, but an extended roof made of steel and zinc, resting on 211 supports inclined in different directions. The roof overhang is decorated with perforations resembling a QR code.
The architects, in contrast to their approach to the first project, tried to emphasize the ephemerality of the building, the fact that it does not pretend to anything and is trying to distract the visitor from the main thing: meetings with Stonehenge - as if you can really distract from this.
