In a newly developed grandstand, Cheltenham Racecourse now enjoys an array of bespoke carpet embracing apparently effortless design and celebrating the famed gold diamonds of owner, The Jockey Club.
Tasked to evoke the feeling of the rolling landscape in which Cheltenham Racecourse is found, architecture practice, Roberts Limbrick, worked closely with Wilton Carpets Commercial through an evolutionary design process that has had stunning results. Having developed original design briefs inspired by contemporary artists and involving wave elements across a palette of natural colours, Robert Limbrick worked with Wilton to reinterpret these concepts into a simpler design that embraced the gold of The Jockey Club for the fifth floor Panoramic room. This simpler look was wholeheartedly embraced by the Racecourse and formed the basis for carpets throughout the grandstand.
“Our initial concepts reflected the course’s original intention for a design inspired by its surroundings, but after deliberation with the team at Cheltenham, a simpler look first suggested for the Panoramic room was used throughout,” explains James Vincent, senior associate, Roberts Limbrick. “The suite proved an ideal trial and the whole process has involved a close working partnership with the design team at Wilton, with their input and expertise proving invaluable as we looked for the perfect balance in colour and pattern. We worked from a palette of landscape tones to uphold the original brief of being inspired by the course’s surroundings, balancing against natural wood finishes and the luxurious fabrics found in furniture throughout all areas.”
The contemporary texture effect in a purple with gold fleck was chosen for level one, where it works well with the Jockey Club branding. On this level, the champagne bar has added detail with a ‘horseshoe’ crescent motif used to suggest champagne bubbles while remaining elegant. Level two sees the same contemporary texture as level one, this time in a green colourway with a range of gold tone highlights.
The Royal Box on level four is another area of special interest. Here the design went through several variations, before an elegant neutral palette was finally selected to balance the colour and detail in walls and furniture, creating a sense of luxury befitting this prestigious interior.
“While the finished designs could be seen as plain with detail highlights, the entire project was exceptionally complex due to the shape of the impressive new building and that the apparently simple design features a complex integral border effect of a darker texture,” comments Julie Robertson, design manager, Wilton Carpets Commercial.
With over 3,300 square metres of wool-rich bespoke woven carpet installed, including existing Wilton library designs in corporate boxes, Cheltenham Racecourse was a sizeable project that demonstrated the ability of the manufacturer to work with architecture practices to achieve a striking interior. The numerous bars, members’ areas, hospitality suites and corporate boxes of Cheltenham Racecourse exhibit a unique set of demands on carpet design:
“Apart from the need for a high-quality broadloom that offers ease of cleaning and longevity, the design of Cheltenham Racecourse and its need to be adaptable threw up several challenges along the way and working with Wilton helped greatly in achieving an end result that has left all delighted,” continues James Vincent, Robert Limbrick. “From a brief that evolved considerably to finding the right colour and design combinations to suit the area in question, Wilton were highly influential in the design process.”
For further information contact Wilton Carpets Commercial on 01722 746000 or sales@wiltoncarpets.com
