Costumed actors dressed as Henry VIII, Charles I and Queen Victoria, welcomed over 300 guests to Kensington Palace, 21 March, to the exclusive launch event of the new Kensington Palace Pavilion. The venue is one of six venues cared for by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces.
Situated on the palace lawns, the new space overlooks the sunken garden and will be available to host an exclusive number of events for three years while The Orangery is closed for planned conservation work.
London & Partners and Eurostar brought 10 event planners over from Paris to see the space, first hand. The Pavillion design channelled the palace’s Orangery with a variety of fruit trees in terracotta pots alongside stone and bronze urns, dressed with green foliage, fresh oranges and stephanotis flowers, all provided by Simon Lycett.
Guests enjoyed canapes from By Word of Mouth and jazz singer Atila entertained guests over drinks before they were seated for a two-course dinner.
The elegant décor continued with colourful flower arrangements to match the chairs around each table, with clock and watch-faces interspersed throughout to reflect the evening’s theme of ‘time’.
There was also a surprise performance by Tokio Myers – multi-instrumental artist/composer and winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2017 before guests moved back to the reception space, which had been transformed into a ‘UV Citrus Grove’ setting for dessert and after-dinner drinks.
A DJ concluded the evening’s performances, with all entertainment on the night provided by Young Guns.
Alex Donnelly-Palmer, events and operations manager at Kensington Palace, said: “It was a truly spectacular evening celebrating the launch of the Kensington Palace Pavilion. The event perfectly showcased the versatility of the Pavilion and how it can be transformed for extravagant events, while incorporating the storied history and traditions of Kensington Palace.
“Following the closure of the Orangery for vital conservation work, we are delighted to be able to offer this one-of-a-kind venue for exclusive and memorable events, whether a gala dinner, evening reception or product launch.
“Additionally, clients booking events in the Kensington Palace Pavilion will contribute to Historic Royal Palaces’ charitable cause, as income raised from all commercial activities is reinvested in conservation, public access and educational activities to ensure the palace continues to well-maintained and open for all to enjoy.”
With the new building in situ for two years, different regulations – including fire regulations – apply in comparison to if it was just set up for a weekend event, which Arena’s design reflected.
Says Arena account director Daniel Bluff: “It’s been a great pleasure to work on this project, particularly on such a significant and historic site. James Anderson, our commercial director, secured this work and I was delighted to take on the project.
“The build schedule was just over three weeks, which thanks to two snow storms made it a bit of a challenge as it cost us three working days. This was additionally challenging as a result of the limited working hours on this historically sensitive site. We drew on additional resources within the Group and delivered a space that Kensington Palace can be proud of. Ensuring an aesthetically smooth transition from existing Kensington Palace public areas to this new structure was high on the client brief and I think we’ve managed that from interior colours to the style of bathrooms.
“For me, this project again highlights the broad capabilities that the Arena Group has as a business, providing a complete solution for the client.”
