Brent Cross Visitor Pavilion

London, England

2019 — 2021

Client Argent Related

Buildings · Workplace

A welcoming gateway to Brent Cross Town, the visitor pavilion is designed to invite community engagement and promote the positive placemaking principles at the heart of this emerging north London neighbourhood.

‘An extremely accomplished building which made design look effortless, calm and welcoming, designed with longevity and flexibility in mind.’

RIBA Regional Awards Jury 2024

3 Brent Cross Visitor Centre Simon Kennedy

A modern café interior with large windows, wooden walls, a white counter displaying pastries, coffee machines, and a blurred person in a green shirt behind the counter. Natural light fills the cozy, minimalist space.

The three-storey structure features flexible spaces for events and exhibitions where visitors learn about the major regeneration development by Related Argent and Barnet Council. It also accommodates show apartments, workspaces, a public café and an open-air viewing terrace.

A gabion plinth provides a resilient but welcoming street frontage that supports two upper storeys, clad in a muted palette of larch and zinc. Inside, the timber structure, ply wall linings and wood-wool acoustic panel ceilings create a calming atmosphere that resonates with the surrounding landscape. Expansive glazing optimises natural daylight and frames far-reaching views of the new town centrepiece, Claremont Park.

‘A space that informs, inspires, and includes, serving as both physical landmark and a symbolic embodiment of the development of green, sustainable, and community-driven aspirations.’

Civic Trust Awards Jury 2025

A person and a child walk along a paved path through a lush park with wildflowers, trees, and grass. In the background, there are modern buildings under a clear blue sky.

Close-up of a modern architectural facade featuring a grid of light-colored wooden panels alternating with sections of metal mesh filled with stones. The perspective emphasizes the geometric design and contrast in textures.

Modern two-story building with large glass windows, a balcony with plants, and a mix of neutral and stone textures. The setting is outdoors with clear blue skies and sparse vegetation around the path leading to the entrance.

Modern building with a white wood and stone facade, featuring large vertical windows. The structure is surrounded by trees and shrubs under a clear blue sky.

Modern building with "The Pavilion" written on a stone facade. Features large glass windows, a rooftop terrace, and surrounding greenery. Clear blue sky in the background, with a person walking past the structure.

‘Bathed in dappled light and bright greenery, the Pavilion is a glade of trees — here Brent Cross Town’s vision of creating a ‘park town for future London' is brought to life’

DNCO

The predominant use of timber defines the pavilion’s appearance and contributes to the sequestration of carbon in the building fabric, making it an exemplar of CLT and glulam design. Designed on the back of circular economy principles, with durability and ease of repurposing in mind, the pavilion sets a sustainable precedent for the town, and its new community.