The Duchy of Cornwall’s Poundbury development is the urban expansion of the county town of Dorchester in Dorset.
Covering 400 acres of land, it’s the vision of the H.R.H The Prince of Wales, and has since received worldwide acclaim from architects, town planners and academics alike.
Architects Quinlan and Francis Terry were commissioned to design the main central space of Poundbury, Queen Mother Square, and Plean Precast were chosen to manufacture and supply the architectural cast stone for the three buildings in this stage of the project.
King’s Point House is a large L-shaped building eighteen bays long that forms the west side of Queen Mother Square with a six-story tower at the southwest angle. Along the ground floor of the whole building is a Doric colonnade in Portland stone in contrast to the yellow brick of the main façade.
Strathmore House is a majestic Corinthian building with a central pediment facing the square. Its eleven-bay façade in reconstituted stone and render is a richer version of King’s Point House opposite, echoing its rusticated arched ground floor, while its upper two floors are linked by fourteen giant Corinthian pilasters.
The Duchess of Cornwall Inn is the most architectural building in Poundbury. The facades facing the square are made up of three orders which are super imposed on top of each other starting with Doric, then Ionic above and Corinthian at the top. This design was heavily influenced by Palladio's courtyard at the Accademia in Venice, which has its ultimate origin in the facade of the Coliseum in Rome.
| Architect: | Quinlan and Francis Terry |
| Client: | The Duchy of Cornwall |
