Hopkins Architects has been involved in the design of new facilities at Norwich Cathedral for 14 years; the first phase of development, the Refectory (the subject of a TRADA Case Study in 2007) forms one side of the Cloisters and the second phase, the now-completed Hostry, runs at right angles to it.

The architectural objective was that ‘it should be clearly evident that the new Hostry and Refectory were built in our own age, yet carried forward the memory of the earlier buildings.’

The two developments are believed to constitute the single most extensive addition to an English medieval cathedral since the Reformation. The design drew on historic precedent, responding to immensely complex heritage, archaeological and ecclesiastical planning issues, including responding to the strictures of the Grade I listed site and the Cathedrals Act. It also emphasises the hospitable and educational ethos of the Benedictine order and contributes to a reanimation of the cloistered site as a whole.