<strong>Gravetye Manor Award Win</strong>

Gravetye Manor, the historic Sussex country house hotel famous for its stunning Grade II listed gardens, has won a design award for a new dining area inspired by the landscape.

The 35 acres of grounds, created by the visionary early 20<sup>th</sup> century plantsman William Robinson, were the starting point for a challenging project that brought specialist architects, construction teams and even artists together to create what judges described as a “truly inspiring” addition to the Jacobean manor.

The elegant, contemporary restaurant structure with its floating ‘umbrella’ roof and frameless floor-to-ceiling glazing, was intended to ‘bring the outside in’, providing guests with a spectacular, uninterrupted view of the gardens, while a carefully crafted interior reflected their natural colours.

The restaurant won the award for the most impressive non-residential scheme in the Mid Sussex Design Awards, announced in October, and also received a Conservation and Heritage category commendation.

The project was not without its challenges. Lead contractor, Brighton-based Pilbeam Construction, had just four months to complete the works while Gravetye was closed from January to mid-May in 2018. And, in order to conserve the gardens, it was obliged to bring a 350-tonne crane on site to lift all plant, materials and spoil around rather than over the Grade 1 listed building.

But the result is a breath-taking space, bathed in light and featuring exposed original stonework with colourful, botanically inspired panels painted especially for Gravetye by French artist Claire Basler.

Gravetye Manor’s owners Jeremy and Eizabeth Hosking worked with lead architects Sir Charles Knowles and the entire project team to create the space for guests to enjoy the restaurant’s Michelin-starred experience.

“We’re delighted on behalf of everyone involved in the project to have received this award,” said Celine Leslie, Gravetye Manor’s Director of Sales and Marketing.

“We have doubled the capacity of our dining area and created a unique experience that really captures the special quality of Gravetye and its magnificent setting.”

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Editors notes:

Gravetye Manor in East Hoathly, East Sussex, is a multi-award winning country house hotel, which has held a Michelin star since 2015. Its gardens are recognised as being of national historic importance.

The Mid Sussex Design Awards are held once every three years to celebrate the best new architectural projects in the area and acknowledge the important role that high-quality design plays in enhancing the distinctive character of Mid Sussex.

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