A programme of improvements at an historic Grade II listed country house hotel located on the edge of the Chilterns National Landscape has been given the go-ahead by Dacorum Borough Council.
Designed by Studio Moren, the project seeks to enhance the quality and range of accommodation and facilities at Pendley Manor, which sits on a 35-acre parkland site, while safeguarding its architectural significance and landscape setting.
The Grade II listed manor house will be retained and temporary structures will be replaced with permanent, high quality buildings to improve guest experience and accessibility, and secure the hotel’s long-term operational viability.
At the heart of the scheme is the removal of the existing temporary marquee, which will be replaced with a permanent events and leisure building, designed to sit discreetly within the landscape.
A sensitively designed new bedroom wing and the reconfiguration of existing buildings will enable the hotel to meet modern hospitality standards without compromising its historic character.
Herbert Lui, partner at Studio Moren, said: “Pendley Manor is a place of remarkable architectural and landscape significance, and our ambition from the outset has been to work with that inheritance rather than compete with it. The proposals are deliberately measured and the alterations to the existing manor house are intended to enhance the guest experience in a way that celebrates the hotel’s spectacular setting. This work will give a new lease of life to underutilised outbuildings and remove obsolete structures to increase natural habitats for wildlife.”
Teodoro Mastrantonio, project architect at Studio Moren, added: “From a design perspective, the focus has been on clarity and coherence – removing elements that feel temporary or unresolved, and replacing them with architecture that belongs to the estate. New elements are recessive and clearly legible as contemporary additions, taking cues from the manor’s massing, materials and rhythm, while remaining quieter in their expression, allowing the historic fabric and landscape to remain the primary focus.”
