BLOCK NINE had been successfully appointed to a small projects consultancy framework for full architectural services. We had previously worked on several projects within the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street in Edinburgh, and had also worked on a number of projects at the large Museum of Flight site in East Lothian, including the provision of new service facilities across the entirety of the site, new entrance facilities to the Concorde Hanger (the main attraction of the site).

With our proven track record on the site, we were subsequently invited to provided services for a new gateway building to manage excessive visitors and traffic during the peak periods of the year, in particular for Scotland’s National Airshow, when thousands of visitors descend on the site at once.

Due to the size of the site, control of visitors and traffic had been extremely challenging in the past, with huge tailbacks and lack of control and payment as visitors filtered throughout the site.

Our designs widened the access road to allow 2 lanes of traffic entering the site, and also a new gateway building for payment to be made before entering the site.

Our initial concept designs drew upon the form and fenestration of an airplane fuselage, as well as a modern interpretation of the materiality and form of the many Nissen Huts which are distributed around the site.

Whilst it was important to reflect the past, it was part of our design brief to incorporate the technology and aesthetics of our own age so a modern rectilinear glazing and cladding systems was wrapped within this historic curved corrugated aluminium roof.

As this gateway pavilion formed the first glimpse of the overall site, we ensured that this formed a lasting introductory impression which could be taken on to the site.

The construction of the project was complicated by Historic Scotland’s scheduled monument status requiring thorough documented archaeological excavation, and further hindered with a large framework contractor struggling to prioritise contract of this size, however it has since been very well received by the client body as well as the vast number of visitors to the site.