Stonehenge’s New Visitors’ Center

  • A 360-degree virtual display of the ancient rocks.

    A 360-degree virtual display of the ancient rocks.

  • Stonehenge is thought to date back to 2200 B.C.

    Stonehenge is thought to date back to 2200 B.C.

  • An aerial view of Stonehenge.

    An aerial view of Stonehenge.

  • A new visitors pavilion now cuts a dramatic form across the English countryside.

    A new visitors pavilion now cuts a dramatic form across the English countryside.

  • Matchstick-like pillars mark this ultra-modern building.

    Matchstick-like pillars mark this ultra-modern building.

Click image to view full size

Stonehenge’s one million annual visitors are set to receive a warm welcome upon arrival at the World Heritage–listed site in Wiltshire, England. Thought to date to 2200 B.C., the prehistoric assemblage of megaliths and burial mounds now counts an ultra-modern visitors’ center among its attractions, located two kilometers from the stone circle. Some US$44 million and 11 years in the making, the pavilion of glass and weathered chestnut cuts a dramatic form across the English countryside, its gently undulating roof held up by matchstick-like pillars. Inside, visitors can explore a 360-degree virtual display of the ancient rocks as well as hundreds of artifacts, including the reconstructed head and skeleton of a 5,500-year-old Neolithic man that was excavated from a nearby barrow. –Natasha Dragun

This article originally appeared in the February/March 2014 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Center Stage”).

Share this Article

Related Posts

A View of London From the Top

Take in London’s most well-known sites from a different point of view.

The View From the Shard

A drumbeat for the transformation of London’s traditionally low-rise skyline starts with The Shard...

5 Outdoor Dining Spots in London

London's best outdoor dining venues with sun-dappled terraces, rooftop bars, and great views.

The Gorgeous Glen Affric Estates

The new property by David Matthews, the owner of Eden Rock.

Checking In at the Rosewood London

The first Rosewood hotel in Europe occupies a stately Edwardian Belle Époque building in central Lo...

Andy Murray’s Cromlix Hotel Opens

A country hotel in Perthshire procured by the Scottish tennis ace last year has been transformed.