The Royal Clarence Hotel

The Royal Clarence Hotel is a Grade II listed building in the heart of Exeter. In October 2016, the building was destroyed by fire, with only the building shell remaining.

We were appointed by owners, Brownsword Hotels, to develop proposals to restore and rebuild the hotel, creating a building that the city could once again be proud of.

Our plans, which were informed by extensive consultation, proposed the restoration of the building's iconic frontage, with a new structure sitting behind it. Wherever possible, surviving features of historic and architectural importance were incorporated into the proposed design. This process was informed by detailed research into the history of the building, undertaken by the practice's team of conservation architects and heritage consultants.

Heritage Consultancy

Following the fire, Buttress' Heritage Consultancy team produced a Conservation Plan for the building, which also incorporated a Statement of Significance. The findings of the report subsequently informed the design development process and was used to support planning and listed building consent applications.

This was followed by a Heritage Assessment which was submitted as part of the planning application. This document analysed the proposed designs and the impact of these designs on the surviving heritage as well as the suitability of the design within its context, and its spatial relationship with other exceptionally important buildings in the vicinity.