Chiddingstone Castle was once a medieval manor house, and has since served time as a base for the army and a school. In the 1950s the house was purchased by Denys Eyre Bower, who used it to house his impressive collection of Egyptian and Japanese antiques. After his death the house, collections and grounds were given to a trust and are now open to the public.

The Orangery is a listed 18th Century stone structure that forms part of the expansive grounds. As part of the long term restoration plan for the whole site, Buro Happold was appointed to provide structural engineering consultancy for the project to replace the roof and make the building suitable for public events.

Buro Happold teamed up with woodwork specialists Carpenter Oak & Woodland to produce a single-domed, double-curved timber gridshell, using local chestnut as the main component. Laminated and toughened glazing was then fixed to the timber using bespoke stainless steel fixings.

Date: 2007