We are delighted to announce that Kew Gardens Great Pagoda has been declared the winner of the 2019 SECBE Constructing Excellence Award in the ‘Preservation and Rejuvenation’ category.

The Great Pagoda, located at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, is the most important Chinoiserie-style building in Europe. It is a ten-storey brick tower with octagonal plan form and roofs and balconies rising in diminishing stages. After five years of research and investigation it has undergone a major restoration, led by Austin-Smith:Lord on behalf of Historic Royal Palaces, with the aim of returning it to the original vision. This includes the reintroduction of eighty dragon sculptures on the roofs. It has now re-opened to the public for the first time in thirty years.

Lee Prosser, Lead Curator for the project from Historic Royal Palaces said “the team is so pleased that our dedication and sensitivity in restoring this most important building has been recognised.  The Pagoda project was a combined effort drawing on many specialists, and all involved should consider this a personal achievement”.

Congratulations to the team who worked on this fantastic project! You can watch the winners video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vsUZC4hew&feature=youtu.be

You can find out more about the Kew Gardens Great Pagoda project at this link: https://www.austinsmithlord.com/projects/the-great-pagoda-kew-gardens/

Take a look at some of our other conservation projects here: https://www.austinsmithlord.com/service/conservation/