THE HYDE WINS TOP RIBA AWARD

Dillington’s spectacular new building - The Hyde - has just won the 2010 Regional Architecture Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Announced at the Wallace & Gromit studios in Bristol last Wednesday, the Jury Chairman congratulated the visionary development and commented on the relationship of the building with the historic and landscape setting.

The award was received by architects Dan Talkes and Tim Rolt on behalf of Purcell Miller Tritton of King Street, Bristol.

Wayne Bennett, Director of Dillington House, said “The award vindicates the vision for a building of architectural distinction at an important historic location. It is a fantastic addition to Dillington and it will make an important contribution to the work we do.”

The Hyde offers two large studio-style spaces for meetings and courses, a large glazed dining room with colourful works of art, 15 fully-accessible bedrooms with views across the countryside - most of which have private decks for sitting out and relaxing after a difficult day!

The building sports the largest grass roof in Somerset and is approached across a bridge over a sunken courtyard garden with bamboos, a reflecting pool and abstract sculptures.

The building incorporates many eco-features such as solar heating and rainwater harvesting. By using timber from renewable sources the upper part of the building is relatively lightweight and this allows an daring cantilever to fly over the old cider orchard wall.

Wayne Bennett added “Everyone seems to love the contrast between the traditional charm and elegance of the old House and Mews and the dramatic and inspirational spaces offered by The Hyde.”

See Dillington’s website for more or telephone Jacinta Elliott on 01460 258 610 to arrange a visit.

Photo by Dermot Galvin/Arty Media

RARE PERFORMANCE OF ALL BEETHOVEN'S STRING QUARTETS

As Dillington House prepares for performances of all the Beethoven String Quartets, Wayne Bennett (Director of Dillington) introduces the project and its significance.

A complete performance cycle of the Beethoven quartets is a rare event. The musical preparation is formidable and only quartets who have a serious career under their belts even think about tackling this Everest of the chamber music repertoire outside of the recording studio. To have the opportunity to experience of listening to these works live across the best part of a week is a once in a lifetime opportunity and an opportunity that visits Somerset once in a blue moon.

The Dillington performances will stretch across six evenings with each concert featuring a work from each of the early, middle and late periods. To provide a greater understanding of the works the eminent musicologist, Angus Watson, will give a series of pre-concert talks about the works being performed that evening. Angus is well qualified as his book Beethoven’s Chamber Music in Context will be published later this year.

Listening to a string quartet requires concentration and for some it is an acquired taste. Four musicians playing together, listening and aware of each other’s playing can make for edge of the seat listening. There is no room for error or ego. It is music stripped to the bare essentials. Challenging as it may be for both players and audience alike, for many, the string quartet represents the ideal in small scale music-making where intimacy, skill and musicianship come together as one.

Originating around the middle of the 18th century, the development of the string quartet soon became the touchstone of the classical music period on which most composers were either judged or indeed judged themselves. Joseph Haydn, whilst working in Vienna, is attributed as having developed the form after which Mozart took it to new levels of sophistication. In Beethoven we see a great composer take the string quartet form from its classical incarnation of four separate but related musical lines to a fusion of sound in which the identity of each becomes bonded as one in a profound unity. Here lay the emotional foundations of romanticism.

The eminent conductor, Sir Roger Norrington, in a recent documentary, commented that he always suspected that Mozart composed for Saturday whereas Beethoven wrote music for eternity. We should understand the point. Mozart aims to please whereas you feel that Beethoven is always trying to take you somewhere profound. Through the isolation of his awful and worsening deafness he seems to abandon the everyday in the search for universal human truths.

Beethoven’s quartets can be crudely divided into three groups. The earliest (opus 18) consist of six quartets that owe much to the good-mannered style of Haydn and Mozart. Written between 1798-1800 they have much classical charm and directness. The middle period quartets are characterised by slow introductions and begin to show Beethoven’s departure from the classical style into new territory. The first three were written in 1806 and are known as the Rasumovsky after their dedicatee. The 10th and the 11th quartets are known as the Harp (1809) and Serioso (1810) respectively. In the Late Quartets of 1824 to 1826 we reach one of the greatest achievements of western music. Begun in 1822 when the composer was completely deaf these works are unlike anything before or since. The sonorities daring and the emotional depths extraordinary. They are so profound that the Alberni have quite rightly spread the performances across the week rather than cram the experience in at the end of the week.

To hear these quartets across a single week is a musical adventure of a lifetime. Each concert is a journey in style and content and so is complete in itself. To enjoy the full significance of the Dillington Beethoven String Quartets then get to hear Angus Watson also. You’ll not be disappointed what ever you do.

The Hyde's Architectural Acclaim

THE HYDE, a stunning £3m conference, arts and education facility at Dillington House, Somerset, has been short-listed for one of the country's top architectural awards.

The Royal Institute of British Architects will announce at Bristol's Aardman Animation HQ on May 19, which of 13 South West projects will scoop the coveted prize.

Sara Burton, RIBA Events and Projects Administrator said: "RIBA awards are given for buildings that have high architectural standards and make a substantial contribution to the local environment.

"They recognise excellence in architecture and are respected worldwide. The awards honour those who commission and build, as well as those who design."

The winner of the regional award is put forward to a national event and potentially the Stirling Prize, screened by Channel 4 in October with Kevin McCloud.

Dillington House, Ilminster, is the South West''s foremost conferencing centre. It is run by Somerset County Council and it also has a national reputation for its excellence as a residential adult education centre.

It's visionary director Wayne Bennett was the moving force behind the ambitious project.

He said: "The scheme was to construct a building of architectural distinction to be alongside the historic buildings at Dillington."

The Hyde, a state of the art facility housing boutique accommodation and two studios costing some three million pounds, was offically opened to universal acclaim in February 2009.

"At Dillington in beautiful South Somerset you can find one of the region’s best places to meet – a place of real quality and refinement," said Mr Bennett.

"Dillington, a former Prime Minister's residence, has long enjoyed a reputation for first class service but it now boasts something that will inspire anyone in the business world. The Hyde - opened its doors to business a year ago and has been wowing users ever since.

"Designed by the Bristol team of Purcell Miller Tritton, The Hyde boasts many surprising features that impress and surprise. For instance there is the deployment of an audacious cantilever which flies one of the studio rooms over the ancient garden wall.

Although you enter at ground level across a wooden bridge it soon becomes apparent that the ground drops sharply away and through large glass windows you are presented with amazing views of the Somerset countryside.

The effect is totally surprising and impressive. In a similarly stylish way, a mirror-pond reflects ripples across the ceiling of the Garden Room which leads to a sunken courtyard resplendent with giant bamboos and contemporary sculpture.

As well as two large meeting rooms and a stunning dining space, the building also incorporates fifteen boutique-style bedrooms many with their own private deck and extensive western views. Free wi-fi throughout is just part of the inclusive service.

The Hyde also has many eco-credentials. It sports perhaps the largest grass roof in Somerset as well as some very efficient solar panels. Much of the building is constructed in sustainably sourced timber and the insulation used consists of compressed wastepaper.

Rainwater is also harvested and is used for watering the gardens. Of course, locating a contemporary building on a historic site was challenging but with English Heritage support it has been ingeniously achieved without detriment to the other important buildings and their vistas.

This new addition adds enormously to the general offer at Dillington where excellence of service and flexibility are the key to its ongoing success.

PMT architect Dan Talkes, who masterminded the project said: "We are delighted that The Hyde has been shortlisted for such a prestigious award.

"We immediately recognised the poetic potential of exploiting the topography of the site. It was built on a steep incline with dramatic views across the sweeping countryside beyond.

"We were very concerned about its relationship with Dillington House, a beautiful building, itself and that it had to announce itself in its own right and yet remain true to the brief, which included sustainability. It also had to provide exceptional accommodation and a learning environment that was inspirational.

"We are very pleased with the result and the fact that RIBA has short-listed The Hyde is fantastic in itself."

For further information go to www.dillington.com or telephone Wayne Bennett on 01460 258 648.

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