Royal Pavilion, Poundbury

The brief

The Duchy of Cornwall’s Poundbury development is the urban expansion of the county town of Dorchester in Dorset. Covering 400 acreps of land, it’s the vision of the H.R.H The Prince of Wales, and has since received worldwide acclaim from architects, town planners and academics alike.

Haddonstone were asked to supply the architectural stonework for the prestigious Royal Pavilion, which would be the main focal point of the Poundbury development.

The design of London-based architect Ben Pentreath, the Royal Pavilion is a luxurious collection of twenty apartments and penthouses, comprising classical and contemporary features and set around a central, private piazza. The collection was to feature classical stone colonnades, beautiful terraces and a signature tower with triumphal arch.

Ben Pentreath worked with CG Fry & Son, the main contractor for the construction of Royal Pavilion. Their ethos combines traditional craftsmanship and harmonious design with the best of contemporary building techniques, so Haddonstone felt like the perfect fit for the project.

The solution

Given the stature and significance of the project, it was critical that the design and quality of each cast stone element was produced to the highest specification.

The Haddonstone team applied meticulous attention to detail to create interesting façades that would hold the attention and emphasise the opulence of the residences.

The main building features a striking colonnade to the ground floor, covered terraces to the first floor and private open terraces above. 

We helped to create further principal details on the ground floor with a plinth course of varying height, attached columns, an arched colonnade with subtle differences in design and contemporary balustrading. 

For the cornices and architraves on three of the four floors, we employed bespoke cast stone production methods so as to execute the intricate construction details and slight variations.

We also supplied fluted columns to the first-floor terraces, balustrading and custom finials to the roof terraces of the main building. 

Finally, we supplied the cladding for the highest structure in the development – the tower. Situated on the south-east corner, this striking feature incorporates plinths, pilasters, niches and massive arches and keystones, each with intricate moulding detail. 

The result

In total, Haddonstone supplied in excess of one thousand tonnes of cast stone to the project, comprising nearly ten thousand individual custom design pieces and more than a thousand different components.

The Queen Mother Square was opened by H.M. The Queen in 2016 and the Royal Pavilion was opened in July 2018, with the first residents now firmly settled in this beautifully constructed architectural highlight. Visible for many miles, it stands proud as a highly significant architectural landmark marking the centre of the development.

Ben Pentreath said:

“The quality of execution has been second-to-none, and is a testament to the hard work of both C. G. Fry and all the craftspeople who have worked on the construction. The cast stonework is a crucial element in this success”.

Philip Fry, Managing Director of CG Fry & Son said:

“It has been a real honour to work on this project which is the centrepiece of this historic development. The exceptional quality in terms of both design and construction is a real testament to all of the team that have been involved”.

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