Stowe Gardens restaurant, shop and entrance

A combination of restoration, reconstruction and new build

A new visitor facility encompassing both modern and traditional timber framing expertise.

The base for the project was the restoration of Stowe Garden’s the ‘New Inn’, originally built in 1717 as lodgings for visitors. This unique project combines restoration, reconstruction and new build. The inn has been restored to include a restaurant, shop and entrance for the ever increasing number of visitors. By forming the new visitor facility around the ‘old Inn,’ visitors enter the gardens by the Bell Gate as initially intended.

The design for the restaurant is a modern interpretation of the former fallen threshing barn. Stainless steel ‘arms’ hold the timber posts, allowing for the walls to be almost entirely glazed, giving views to the gardens and beyond. The triangulated roof with a diagrid lattice structure is made out of a series of timber triangles connected by stainless steel flitch plates and tie rods.