Twentieth Century Society (C20 Society) has submitted a listing application for the River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Opened in November 1998, the project was David Chipperfield Architects’ first major UK commission and first significant cultural building – a sector in which the practice has since developed an international reputation.
Inspired by local river boathouses and the traditional wooden barns of Oxfordshire, the building is made up of long, parallel, oak-clad forms with steeply pitched lead-coated roofs. Elevated above the ground on concrete pillars due to the occasional flooding of the river, it was conceived in two parts: a transparent and open entry floor space containing public areas and a sequence of first floor galleries, enclosed and lit by skylights.
The museum closed in September of last year due to financial challenges. David Chipperfield Architects is convinced that the flexibility of the original design will allow the building to serve a new purpose in a way that respects and preserves its architectural character.