York Design Awards 2007 - Conservation

The Royal Observer Corps Bunker in Acomb was built in the late 1950s as part of a national defence network designed to detect missile attack and organise a civil response to deal with fallout or bomb impact. It saw active service throughout the Cold War period before being decommissioned in 1991.

The sensitive repair, additions and alterations to this fascinating piece of modern history reflect the commitment to conservation and its respect for the integrity and originality of existing structures of the architects Wiles & Maguire and LEDA.

Sustainability: One of the best mechanisms for sustainable design is reuse; this building could easily have been left to become derelict or been demolished. The foresight of English Heritage to add a twentieth century building to their customary historic repertoire has saved it from either of these fates. From the outset of the project Wiles & Maguire worked closely with LEDA (Leeds Environmental Design Associates), a firm of sustainable design consultants, to ensure a low-energy and high-efficiency services approach was carried out. For example, the obvious method of ventilation for the bunker would have been conventional air conditioning, but instead we developed an innovative method of air circulation and gentle warming to provide the controlled humidity levels required of a museum.

Landscaping: Although the existing building does not itself acknowledge its situation in the landscape, our adjustments to suit current building regulations have concentrated on working with the grain of the landscape and have at all times aimed to be a convincing addition to this remarkable building type.

Layout: The building is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, so there were careful restrictions on which of its elements could be altered. It was considered important to maintain the atmosphere and role of the original sequencing of rooms. Only with a full appreciation of the pattern and meaning of the existing layout could planning adjustments be made such as adding the toilet and shop facilities. As is confirmed by staff working there, these have been considered to be successful alterations and do not detract from the original organisation of the ROC Bunker.

Context: The ROC bunker does not, and never did reference its surroundings. This unusual lack of regard for context is part of the extraordinary history of the building – and the era –this was not sought to change. The natural rise on which the bunker sits would have given the officials working inside a good horizon for radar and radio signals. The context – or lack of relation to it – becomes part of the understanding of the building for future generations. It is important to recognise that this building is now a museum piece, adding to the historical thread that runs through every period in the City of York.

As an addition to York's publicly accessible heritage, the ROC Bunker serves as a chilling reminder of the late twentieth century and the challenges our society faces in the future.