Jaguar Heritage Museum, Coventry:

A feasibility study to assist Jaguar Heritage in their quest to obtain funding for new premises. A new and larger museum is required to house the entire collection of 120 cars, together with paintings, sculptures, models and other Jaguar/Daimler related artefacts. Inspired by the Citroen showroom in rue Marbeuf, Paris, of 1929, the design concept is “a theatre for cars”, where the vehicles are located in theatrical “galleries” and “boxes” around a central “stage”, from which they may be viewed by the visitors. The curved roof form was inspired by the shape of the radiator opening of the Jaguar E-Type.

Additional accommodation includes, a large maintenance and restoration workshop, archive, offices, meeting rooms, shop and café. Sustainability is a key aspect of the design. The building will be naturally ventilated by means of “Windcatchers”. Winter heating and summer cooling will be delivered by means of a ground source heat pump system, circulating water through underfloor heating/cooling pipes. The thermal mass provided by the concrete structure will assist in maintaining constant internal temperature.