Benmore Fernery

Set into the wooded hillside at Benmore Botanic Garden, the Fernery is a rare surviving Victorian structure dating from the 1870s. It was built during a period of major investment in the estate by James Duncan, a Greenock sugar broker, but by the time of MAST’s involvement the building had fallen into significant ruin.

Following an initial feasibility study, MAST were appointed by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to develop proposals for its restoration. With limited surviving records, historic photographs and documentary evidence became important references in understanding the original form of the building and guiding the conservation approach.

The project retained and repaired the surviving masonry walls while introducing a new glass and steel structure within them, recreating the historic roof profile in a clearly contemporary manner. The contrast between the repaired stonework and lightweight new structure allows the building’s evolution to remain visible while restoring its original sense of enclosure and quality of light.

Its steep, forested hillside setting created a further challenge. Restricted access meant that elements of the new structure had to be transported into position by helicopter, allowing the works to proceed with minimal disturbance to the surrounding landscape. New accessible pedestrian routes were also introduced as part of the wider restoration.

Completed in 2009, the project transformed a long-derelict structure into a distinctive visitor destination and renewed setting for Benmore’s fern collection. The restoration received the Glasgow Institute of Architects Design Award for Conservation in 2009, and the Fernery was later selected as one of twenty award-winning buildings recognised by the GIA in 2016.