The National Centre for Horticultural
Science and Learning for the Royal Horticultural Society on Wisley's Hilltop
will contain state-of-the-art-scientific laboratories, extensive public
exhibition space, teaching studios and new facilities for their nationally
important Herbarium, science and library collections. The Centre will be
complemented by three new gardens, The Wellbeing Garden by Matt Keightley, The
Wildlife Garden and The World Food Garden by Ann-Marie Powell.
The project will deliver a major upgrade and step change to RHS
Science that will support the delivery of the new Science Strategy, enabling
high quality new scientific research and sharing of best practice through
public engagement in Horticultural Sciences. The Centre will help to safeguard
the internationally important scientific collections for present and future
generations.
The new facility will provide the environmental conditions
essential to keep these national reference collections secure, and ensure they
remain available for the purposes of study.
The Centre design takes a Y-shaped form which will be divided
into two functional wings, an Activity and Education wing, and a Science and
Knowledge wing, each two storeys in height. At the centre a naturally lit,
central public engagement space will link the functions of both wings forming
the heart of the building.