Hepworth Wakefield

MA A+U had an expedition to Wakefield yesterday to visit David Chipperfield's new gallery dedicated to the work of Barbara Hepworth. Despite the unpromising weather spirits were  brightened by fleeting sunshine as we crossed the Pennines into Yorkshire.  The new building, which features a cluster of top-lit and individually expressed galleries stands adjacent to a weir on the River Calder


Craig thought it was contextually contrasting in terms of location and materials

Natalie was reminded of the work of Tadao Ando

Bill appreciated the relationship with the water

Angad thought the reflective quality of of the water added to the monumentality of the gallery"s scale

Supriya liked the free flowing organisation of spaces,  the big windows and top lighting in the galleries

Meliz thought the lighting system was very sophisticated

Chen liked the combination of blocks and the siting and connections across the water

Laleh liked the relationship established from the contemporary gallery with the medieval chantry chapel

Ketki preferred the subtlety of the circulation here to that of Zaha Hadid's MAXXI in Rome

Preeya liked the way the building sits on the site and the clean way it meets the water

Kathryn thought it was very welcoming and open

Luke was impressed with the complex and dynamic form of the building

Carrie thought the windows created interesting relationships with the gallery rooms

Christina thought the building was integrated well in its riverside context

Jack thought the bridge created a sense of journey across the different qualities of water