Tonkin Liu

Client: York Minster Cathedral

Stepping up to the challenges of caring for heritage buildings in the 21st century has become increasingly urgent, with only 13 cathedrals of the 42 Anglican Cathedrals continuing to have dedicated craftspeople. York Minster Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft consists of two new buildings, the Heritage Quad and the Technology Hub. Developed through international cooperation and an apprenticeship program, the project will accelerate the restoration of heritage buildings by four decades within the next century. It has established York Minster as the vanguard of heritage, research, advancement in digital masonry fabrication technology, and commitment to training and craftsmanship.

Stone is delivered directly from the quarry to the Tech Hub, where large blocks are cut and prepared for delicate, hand-finishing in the Heritage Quad. New masonry equipment includes digital 5-axis and bridge saws, fifteen work benches with advanced dust extraction systems. Both buildings utilise and integrate existing walls and foundations. Both use structure and geometry to moderate and enhance light, connect key views across York, respond to their settings and internal programmatic relationships. The Heritage Quad is set in a garden and a garage courtyard in the Precinct, immediately next to the city wall. A plan that is square in the ground meets a circle in the sky. The proposed new timber roof lifts to invite views into the workshop from the multitude of visitors strolling on the city wall, and to make a circle in the centre framing views of the cathedral for the working masons. Underneath this unifying roof, the aggregated massing accommodates: masons’ workshop, administration, storage, delivery, breakout space, apprentice accommodation, and a perimeter of outdoor seating area. Akin to a Roman Impluvium, the roof brings rainwater inwards to the heart of the courtyard, where a wildflower circle is open to the sky. It then journeys sideways to land in two rainwater tanks near the entrance to the Heritage Quad. The Technology Hub, is set in a triangle of work yard close to the cathedral and the city centre. The structural line of the new building fans out, each arrayed and lifted to the same height, forming a hyperboloid shell structure with a diminishing perspective. The Tech Hub brings together glaziers, joiners, plumbers, electricians, and a new drawing room. The fan-vaulted roof is entirely covered in PV, optimising northern light, passive ventilation, structural efficiency, and solar orientation. Together as a pair, the Heritage Quad and the Tech Hub form an integrated, holistic story with their surrounding architecture and landscape. Together they endeavour to inspire and nurture future generations of craftspeople signify the preservation and vitalisation of our shared heritage.