The Blackburn Wing is an innovative conference and events centre in the grounds of Bowcliffe Hall, Bramham.

It takes its inspiration from famous aviation pioneer, Robert Blackburn OBE, who was a former owner of Bowcliffe Hall. It’s all about celebrating the achievements of this local Yorkshire hero. The design is rooted to the first successful Blackburn aircraft, the Blackburn Mercury Monoplane.

The glulam rib form is symbolic of a wing construction, similar to the formation of the first Blackburn Wing. Below the podium level, slender raking steel columns with a network of fine tension wires provide stability to the structure and allow the Blackburn Wing to appear to be floating within the dense woodland setting.

To prevent causing damage to the existing trees, the foundations have been designed
so no excavations take place in the root protection areas. This has been achieved by
providing small diameter driven piles with pile caps cast above the existing ground level.

This the only scheme in the UK granted Planning Permission to be built in an ‘ancient woodland’.

Jonathan Turner of Bayford Group talks about the project, watch the fantastic video here.