The extension to the existing buildings at the Richard III Visitor Centre required the design to work within the confines of the structures that were already there and being used for a specific purpose. Particular sensitivity needed to be shown to the historical significance of the site and its context in the centre of Leicester whilst socio-economic factors were prioritized to ensure the marketability and the use of the additions outside the opening hours of the tourist attraction. Continuing the theme of the past being brought into the 21st century, the assignment continues the past with the use of local materials and subtle references to Richard III and his reign but this is cleverly fused with a modern coffee shop which floats about the nearby skyline providing a view of where the body of Richard III was discovered and where he has been buried.
