Hodder + Partners appoints lead architect for RHS project
Hodder + Partners has hired architect Emma Watson to deliver the £30m Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden Bridgewater scheme.
Watson will be project architect for the Worsley development which was given the go-ahead this year. The venture is a collaboration between RHS, Peel Land & Property, and Salford City Council to create a 156-acre garden, making it one of the largest in Europe.
Watson, who was hired this month, will be responsible for transforming the green belt site of the former Worsley New Hall into a tourist attraction that, within the decade, aims to attract one million people a year. Her work will include delivering a new welcome building that will act as a visitor gateway to the garden, as well as repurposing existing buildings for catering, gardening and retail use.
Prior to this appointment, Watson worked for Hugh Broughton Architects in London where she helped complete a £6.3m Visitor Centre & Archive for The Henry Moore Foundation, East Hertfordshire. Her most recent project before joining Hodder + Partners was the new visitor centre at Clifford’s Tower in York for English Heritage, which also included architectural interventions within the medieval tower.
Founder of Hodder + Partners, Stephen Hodder, said of Watson’s appointment: “She has an eye for detail, has worked with listed buildings in sensitive locations and is a great addition to the team at what is an exciting time for the practice.”