The project consists of three buildings and car parking located discreetly in an important rural landscape. Henry Moore (1898 – 1986) spent the latter part of his life in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. His estate is now an important record of how he worked and lived, with a number of his studios and many of his sculptures set in the gardens and surrounding landscape. As well as drawings and maquettes, Moore left a large number of sculptures which were unsuitable for outdoor display, and which had not been accessible to the public. The new buildings were intended to store and display works on paper, provide a gallery for a sculpture, and provide a biographical gallery and reception area.
The three buildings are located in response to the sensitivity of the site. The design of each building is characterised by a particular material – the sculpture gallery is made in steel, the study centre in brick, and the reception building in timber.
The sculpture building stands outside the grounds, on the threshold between garden and agricultural land. It also lies between two fields, each with a distinct character – one, a green pasture for the sheep that Henry Moore would draw, and the other, arable land that changes colour with the seasons. The study centre extends the informal group of buildings started by Moore. It has an L-shaped plan enclosing a garden court. The main bulk of the building is lost amongst existing trees and bushes. The reception building, occupying the gap between two existing buildings, is a free-standing octagon with a lantern roof intended to aid visitor orientation.