A Highway Service Station That’s Actually Beautiful

Westmorland Ltd and service area operators ran a competition to develop a rest area that was also a respite from highway grime.

Glenn Howells Architects’ (GHA) entered the winning design, which became four buildings off England’s M5 motorway.

In place of greasy burgers and sad soft serve, Gloucester Services offers unbranded, locally sourced food, most of it prepared onsite. Its commitment to furthering the community includes job training. Nearly a third of Gloucester Services employees were previously long term unemployed.

Sustainability highlights include electric car charging stations and landscaping recycled from materials onsite– strategically placed to drown out highway noise. In fact, with a roof covered in wildflowers, the build itself is wont to fade into the Cotswold countryside.

From “The High Road” in Wallpaper, 2016; Photo courtesy of Glenn Howells Architects

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