Work has begun on a new pavilion at Priory Park in Reigate, Surrey, which is part of the borough council’s £4.2m Priory Park restoration project, being backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The pavilion has been designed by French architect Dominique Perrault, and will feature a café, toilets and information space for the park. It will also provide an office base for a park manager and the police.

Around the pavilion, the new Priory Lawns will replace the old tennis courts to provide a picnic lawn.

Tom Stoddart, executive member for leisure and wellbeing at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, said: “The project will restore the historic landscape of Priory Park whilst incorporating modern-day leisure facilities, like the new pavilion. Its design is contemporary and unique, and we are proud that it will be the first building constructed in the UK designed by Dominique Perrault.

“The pavilion is central to the new park layout and will be located close to the new recreational facilities and children’s play area for convenience.

“Because of the history associated with Priory Park, before work could start on building the pavilion we were required to carry out archaeological investigations to find out if anything of archaeological value lies in the area.

“Due to the importance of the historical features uncovered by Surrey County Archaeologists in the course of their work we have modified the construction plans for the foundations of the pavilion to ensure that so far as possible the finds are preserved for the future.”

The Royal Institute of British Architects held a design competition for the Priory Park pavilion building in 2005, prior to the Council’s submission of its Stage II HLF bid. Dominique Perrault Architecte’s winning design by was chosen from four short-listed entries by a panel of representatives from English Heritage, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, the Reigate Society, Surrey County Council and a RIBA Architect Adviser.