SILA Select® Siberian Larch
SILA Select® Siberian Larch cladding is a popular choice due to its versatility & excellent durability.
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Strawberry fields forever
The Strawberry Field garden was immortalised by the Beatles and thousands of visitors flock to the iconic red gates each year to see the area where John Lennon played as a boy. In 2019, the Salvation Army opened those gates for the first time to unveil a new visitor centre for Beatles fans. Yet this is far more than a tourist draw. The visitor centre also has a charitable mission at its heart: to provide training and learning opportunities for vulnerable young people.
Pavilion in the park
Designed by Hoskins Architects, the three-part development comprises the visitor centre, training centre and landscape, with the building designed as a ‘pavilion in the park’.
Secret-fix effect
The visitor centre features an exhibition space, shop and café. Expansive, glazed walls take in the views of the garden and Russwood Siberian larch (SILA Select®) complements the mature woodland setting. The off-sawn cladding features a fire retardant coating and benefits from F-BohrFix® ZB screws, which were created by timber engineers to provide a clean, fix-free appearance.
Russwood provided helpful advice on the selection and detail of the timber cladding, from the initial meetings through to completion. This included discussion and suggestions for secret fixing, vertical fins and fire protection. They remained available across the construction period to assist in maintaining onsite quality.
Hoskins Architects
National recognition
This focus on setting and quality has won national recognition. Strawberry Field attracted a GIA Education Award in 2020 and has gone on to win the Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design and the RIBA North West Award this year.