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At Leeds Castle in Kent, ZMMA won a competition to create a new activity, interpretation and learning building within the Grade I & II* listed historic castle parkland to tell the significant stories of this Medieval castle prior to its conversion to a country retreat in the 1920s.
The project is both historical and theatrical – simultaneously an informative multi-layered learning experience and an exciting stage-set for activities, performances and more – a remarkable castle-like folly, capitalising on its position in the landscape and creating atmospheric drama inside and out.
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Our design reveals the essence of the defensive Medieval castle and its characteristic and material qualities of solidity, spacial ingenuity, mechanisms, light and views; the new building integrates castle features including a gatehouse and defensive devices.
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