Lincoln College Sessions project

Transforming the Old Sessions House into a contemporary dining space and bar, in collaboration with Lincoln College’s hospitality training programme.

The design takes its cue from the building’s past as a 19th-century court and jail, reinterpreting Victorian influences, blues and warm accents in a way that feels atmospheric rather than themed. The approach balanced cost-effectiveness and sustainability with the preservation of original architectural details, the need for a flexible layout, and the integration of the existing coffee bar.

A colour-drenched blue entrance creates a strong sense of arrival while disguising complex junctions within the historic fabric. In the main dining room, deeper tones heighten intimacy and draw focus to the original brickwork and cell doors, with drapery softening the scale and creating opportunities for student artwork.

The bar was fully reworked to align with the renovated coffee bar, with bespoke jail-cell shutters adding a final, characterful detail.