The new Refectory at Norwich Cathedral, the first stage of development to help sustain the future life of this important church, was completed in 2004 and received the Gold Medal at the 2004 Wood Awards.

The new structure has been carefully integrated within original archeological fragments and offers new, much needed facilities – restaurant, public WCs, disabled access and library extension.

The design celebrates the meeting of old and new with materials – English oak, lead, and stone – chosen to relate to the existing fabric of the medieval cloister that the Refectory is connected to, whilst being expressly modern in their use. To the architect, any new intervention should educate people about the past, reveal lost layers of history and, in placing new against old, each addition should somehow encapsulate the spirit and nature of the place.