Case study
Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons
Application
Glass roofs & atria
Building type
Museums and Leisure
Delivery Partner
Grand Design Blinds
Product
TESS™140
Location
Oxfordshire, UK
About Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons
Discrete heat and glare control for an elegant party venue
Created by celebrated chef Raymond Blanc OBE, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is one of England’s most cherished manor house hotels. They received two Michelin stars in 1984, the first year of their opening, and, remarkably, have held them ever since.
Their conservatory and function room overlooking the 15th-century manor, features a private entrance and ample outdoor space—a spectacular party venue and private dining room.
The brief was to give the client reliable and consistent control over heat and glare levels during the day, without impacting on the view and atmosphere for evening events, including star gazing.
Grand Design Blinds opted to use specialist tensioned shading to overcome the challenge of the lack of fixings across the roof and the requirement for the systems to be completely hidden. They engaged with Guthrie Douglas to design and manufacture a solution which could be completely recessed behind the plasterboard fascia, with minimal maintenance requirements.
The TESS™ 140 system is popular for its discrete stainless steel wire guides and flexible brackets which make it easy to design into the glazing surround. The single barrel mechanism keeps the fabric constantly under tension and produces a smooth, quiet travel. Guthrie Douglas’ engineers worked with the team at Grand Design Blinds to adapt this product for full integration into the conservatory.
The result is an elegant venue that can be adapted to suit external conditions and create the right internal environment for a wide range of events.
We enjoy working on small specialist projects as much as we do large-scale requirements. Read about our work to integrate TESS™ 600 systems into the design of a residential extension.