Tabloo, a Visitor Centre for a Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility

Designing a visitor centre for a nuclear waste disposal site is an exceptional task. Since the technology is relatively recent, the meaning and interpretation of the building will certainly evolve. This demands a flexible approach. Together with our team members from ONO architecture, we felt that the building should be as unusual as the subject matter. The design seeks connections with the nuclear facility in an attempt to automatically draw people towards the subject. The proposed building has two sections: an imposing but timeless structure resembling a 12-metre-high floating table (housing the permanent displays) and a lighter interpretation beneath (for the versatile programme of halls and offices). The order and consistency of the dominant structure tempers the informal elaboration, while the adventurousness of the latter lends scale to the impressive form.