The new visitor centre and museum at Rievaulx Abbey, for English Heritage, saw the complete remodelling and extension to the existing facilities within the highly significant and historic context of Rievaulx Abbey. The challenge of both budget and site limitations provided an opportunity to retain and adapt parts of the previous visitor centre whilst creating an elegant contemporary new entrance and central café.  The museum, within an old farm building, was extensively altered to display previously unseen artefacts from the collection.  The museum included upgrading of services and interiors that aimed to improve internal conditions and the display of the collection, including elaborate medieval stone carvings, chess pieces and gold coins  A new secure display area was designed that permits the display of on loan objects.

Such an iconic and sensitive site required careful and detailed heritage planning and archaeological based assessment.  To the north of the abbey is the National Trust owned Rievaulx Terrace and 18th Century Pavilions which were a landscape design specifically designed to highlight the abbey ruins within the English Landscape Garden tradition. The relationship between the two sites is clearly a critical part of this cultural heritage. Simpson & Brown wrote a Conservation Management Plan and detailed views analysis which showed how changes to visitor management on both sites could be achieved in a way that enhanced heritage values.

While parts of the existing visitor centre were retained, a new building has been inserted between two flanking existing structures, creating a core area for an entrance foyer, cafe and shop, as well as improving circulation.  The design of the new building orientates the attention of the visitor through the entrance area to the ruins themselves. On arrival in the car park the prominent west gable makes the entrance highly visible. The new entrance and the opposing east gable are fully glazed, which enables both the interior of the entrance foyer and cafe to be seen from the outside, and allows a view through the length of the new building to the abbey ruins beyond.  The context of the building and its role within the site is therefore emphasised and strengthened.

Due to the sensitive nature of the site within the context of the Grade I listed abbey and the designated National Park ongoing consultation with the Statutory bodies and local stakeholders was essential throughout the design period. Since opening in 2016 the building has been very well received and has seen a substantial increase in visitors to Rievaulx.