WORDS: MR. JOHN DOE
PHOTOS: MRS. JOHN DOE
Henry Moore
Studios Hugh
& Broughton
Gardens
Architects
The Henry Moore Foundation was founded by the artist
and his family in 1977 to encourage public appreciation of the
visual arts. The Foundation supports innovative sculpture projects
through a global grants programme, runs exhibitions and research
worldwide, and conserves the legacy of Moore himself.
Despite careful preservation of landscape and buildings at Moore’s
home at Perry Green in Hertfordshire, the Foundation’s activities had
outgrown their facilities, which were in need of an overhaul. In 2007
the Foundation commissioned Hugh Broughton Architects to prepare
a masterplan to create an improved visitor centre, an enhanced ar-
chive and new sculpture stores.
The brief demanded robust, economic and intelligent solutions
with high levels of energy efficiency achieved with buildings which
would be sympathetically integrated into the sensitive landscape
of Moore’s estate. The first building, completed in September 2011,
was a 1300 square metre blackened oak-clad store for sculptures in
bronze, wood and plaster, tapestries and works on paper.
The second, larger phase of the masterplan comprises the redevelop-
ment of the visitor centre and offices, and creation of the archive. The
brief for this second phase was based on the principle of re-use and
extension of existing buildings, thereby minimising impact on the
estate and preserving the environment, which the Moores cherished.
The existing offices, drawing and print stores had been housed in
Danetree House since 1977. With expansion of the Foundation’s ac-
tivities the offices had become too cramped. Visitor facilities were
also inadequate. The shop and ticket sales were housed in