Austin-Smith Lord completes Kew pagoda renovation

By 2018-07-10T06:00:00

Kew Gardens' restored pagoda by Austin-Smith Lord

Source: Historic Royal Palaces / Richard Lea-Hair

The project was the first time a piece of English Chinoiserie was tackled for conservation

Austin-Smith Lord has completed a refurbishment of the Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens, which sees the reintroduction of 80 long-lost dragons.

The firm worked with historians and chemists to determine what the grade I listed building originally looked like.

Experts discovered the dragons had previously adorned the 50m building from surviving etches by the original architect. Sir William Chambers first designed the structure for Princess Augusta, mother of George III, and it was built in 1761.

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