Photography by: Matt Laver (www.mattlaver.com)

On July 12th Her Majesty The Queen officially declared the new Edward Cullinan Architects designed ‘John Hope Gateway’ at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) open. 

Established in 1670 with a mission of "exploring and explaining the world of plants for a better future" RBGE has grown to become a world-renowned centre for plant science, research and education and is firmly established as one of Scotland’s leading tourist destinations, attracting over 500,000 visitors each year.  

Won through an open competition, the 2750 sqm building, completed in November 2009, combines a practical need for improved facilities with the opportunity to engage visitors in the work and voice of the institution. The new Gateway elegantly combines a large atrium, an extensive exhibition space, teaching and lecture rooms and a new restaurant and shop. In addition, the Gateway boasts a spectacular ‘floating ceiling’ suspended by 36 pencil-thin columns of steel, engineered by Buro Happold and a impressive helical staircase. 

Located at the junction of several primary routes through the Garden, the Gateway encourages visitors to enter and leave the building from different points at different levels. For the first time, wheelchair users will be able to visit the Garden via a lift onto the upper circle path. Typical of all Edward Cullinan Architects-designed buildings, progressive architecture, innovative engineering and sustainability are the hallmarks sitting at the core of the project. The Gateway is built from timber, glass and stone and incorporates the latest environmentally aware and sustainable technologies including biomass fuelled boilers, rainwater recovery systems, a mounted wind turbine and photovoltaic solar panels. 

Roddy Langmuir, project leader at Edward Cullinans Architects said: “We’re honoured to have had HM The Queen open the John Hope Gateway. The new building reinforces RBGE’s position as one of Scotland’s great cultural icons and serves as a reminder of just how important plants are to life on our planet. We’ve been delighted with the positive feedback from both staff and visitors alike and feel proud to have created a building that generations of people will enjoy for years to come.” 

In September 2010 Edward Cullinan Architects will be opening a second Royal Botanical Gardens building at Kew. The new Herbarium and Library Wing will house one of the world’s largest and most important sample collections of plant diversity.