Source: Allies and MorrisonA rendering of Allies and Morrisons schemeGuildford Borough Council has unanimously approved Allies and Morrisons proposals for Clandon Park, the Grade I-listed Palladian house severely damaged by fire in 2015. Developed in collaboration with heritage architect Purcell, the scheme aims to stabilise the structure while introducing new interventions to improve public access and reinterpret the sites history.Designed by Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni, Clandon Park was considered one of Britains most significant Palladian houses before the fire destroyed its roof and much of its finely decorated interior. The new plans, developed in response to a National Trust design competition, do not seek to reconstruct what was lost but instead retain the remains of the historic building, creating an experience that reveals its architectural evolution.The approved proposals include restoring the exterior to its pre-fire appearance, reinstating windows and doors, and securing the building with a new weather-tight roof. Inside, much of the fire-damaged structure will be conserved in its altered state, with walkways inserted into the voids where floors once stood, offering new perspectives on the buildings history.A new accessible lift, reinstated staircases, and a rooftop terrace accessed via partially glazed pavilions will provide visitors with new ways to experience the house and its relationship to the surrounding Capability Brown-designed landscape.The scheme also includes alterations to the basement to introduce visitor facilities, including a caf, toilets, and back-of-house spaces. Historic collections salvaged from the fire will also be redisplayed within the house.The councils planning committee approved the project at a meeting on 6 March, concluding that the schemes public benefits outweighed any harm to the historic fabric.Quoted in The Guildford Dragon, Cllr Vanessa King, chair of the committee, acknowledged the challenge of balancing restoration with the reality of the fires impact: Its natural to want to restore it to the grandeur that it was at one time.However, she added that the fire itself is now part of Clandons history: If we can incorporate that story sensitively and in collaboration then we are looking at a really good option for a much-loved home, part of our community and part of our national story.Clandon Park before the fireSource: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe 2015 fireSource: Colin Smith, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe house after the fireSource: 'NH53', CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons1/3show captionThe National Trust has framed the project as the most appropriate way to secure Clandon Parks future as a heritage attraction. By retaining the buildings post-fire form and exposing previously hidden construction details, the Trust argues that the scheme will offer visitors a unique insight into eighteenth-century architecture and craftsmanship.However, the decision not to fully restore Clandon to its original pre-fire state has faced opposition from some quarters. Restore Trust, a campaign group advocating for a complete reconstruction, has criticised the National Trusts approach, arguing that it fails to uphold the cultural and historical significance of the house.The group has drawn comparisons to large-scale restoration efforts elsewhere, such as UNESCOs rebuilding of Mosuls historic landmarks, where war-damaged buildings including churches and mosques have been reconstructed with international funding.In other parts of the world there is the will to repair and reconstruct damaged and destroyed historic buildings, the group has stated. The National Trusts approach to Clandon Park is outdated and will deprive the nation of a special place, even as people in other countries show their affection for their built heritage.>> Also read:Rebuild the Mack, but why stop there?>> Also read:Modernist dogma should not prevent us from rebuilding the Crooked House