The Bear
Melksham

Presented with this 18th century coaching inn, kdpa created a beautifully balanced, sophisticated interior, developed using a combination of visual contrast and material authenticity.

Original elements of the building fabric were identified and restored, the Bath stone walls being central to the proposal. In contrast, a contemporary open plan layout combines with the bold use of colour to reinvent the traditional image of a coaching inn.

A courtyard garden to the rear is seemingly cut from the earth, with flanking high stone walls layered against soft landscaping. The courtyard creates a series of rooms within a cloister arrangement, as a continuation of the internal plan.

Photography: © Mark Wilson