Current Issue
Manchester Town Hall - cleaning and restoration of the Great Hall
James Stone Masonry Ltd in association with McCrory Holding are proud to have been involved in this prestigious project to restore the historic Grade One-listed Victorian Gothic edifice. The Great Hall in Manchester Town Hall is of immense importance: within the Great Hall there are 12 murals painted by Ford Madox Brown. These murals had to be protected and great care had to be taken when we were working around them.
The superb painted ceiling in this room is also quite remarkable, the ceiling is separated into panels bearing the coats of arms of principal countries and towns with which Manchester traded. The timber panels around the ceiling were cleaned taking great care not to damage the gold leaf and paint work to the woodwork.
Read more: Manchester Town Hall - cleaning and restoration of the Great Hall
CXD supply William Morris Gallery with bespoke showcases following refurbishment
Conservation By Design (CXD) has supplied bespoke showcases to the William Morris Gallery in London following a £5 million major refurbishment. The Walthamstow gallery has been transformed to create a new world-class destination and international centre of excellence for the study of Morris, one of the foremost creative artists and original thinkers on the nineteenth century.
It reopened its doors to the public in August 2012, giving visitors the chance to view almost 600 objects and previously unseen work. The collection housed at the William Morris Gallery is the only one in the world to represent all aspects of Morris’ work.
Read more: CXD supply William Morris Gallery with bespoke showcases following refurbishment
Over £3m spent locally as Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways ‘Tell Stories & Preserve the Past’
Twenty contractors and sub-contractors from across Gwynedd and North Wales have benefited from over £3 million in funding awarded to the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways (FfWHR) for its Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), the Ffestiniog Railway Society and Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Trust.
During the last eighteen months the railway has made use of local skills and craftsmanship, resulting in significant contracts for local businesses.
New AV system provides the complete solution
The re-ordering of Holy Saviour Church in Bitterne, Southampton, has seen the culmination of over four years of project work by Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS).
Within the main church, full sound, visual and streaming systems have been installed for complete versatility and long-term development potential. The audio system features eight Electrovoice EVC 8” speakers for effective coverage throughout the main nave and side aisles – supplemented by dual compact ELX-200 active subwoofers. Additional S-series speakers provide additional chancel coverage for service leaders.
Perth heritage venues get new environmental monitoring systems
Culture Perth and Kinross care for one of the UK’s oldest nationally significant collections, which features works by influential Scottish artists, including Joan Eardley, Sir William MacTaggart, Calum Colvin and Alison Watt. These are currently on display in Perth Art Gallery.
Read more: Perth heritage venues get new environmental monitoring systems
Shedding light on conservation rooflights
Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight offers advice on navigating UK Building Regulations and Planning Laws.
In his address to the House of Lords in 1943, Sir Winston Churchill emphasised the profound influence that the built environment has on our lives, advocating for the faithful restoration of the House of Commons following its wartime destruction. “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” he said. His sentiment underscoring the significance of preserving the character and identity of historic buildings, which form an integral part of our national heritage, evoking a sense of pride and identity among many Brits.
The place of conservation in repurposing ecclesiastical buildings
Modifying places of worship for new and additional uses is one way of tackling the crisis of the growing number of historically significant churches across the UK which are crumbling away and becoming redundant. Here, Lewis Proudfoot, managing director of Cliveden Conservation, focuses on educational uses and the role of conservation in future-proofing these buildings.
Read more: The place of conservation in repurposing ecclesiastical buildings
New York cathedral gets bespoke furniture to accommodate diverse needs
In March ICS Church Furnishers of the Republic of Ireland announced the successful completion of a bespoke seating project for The Cathedral of St John the Divine, the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. This collaboration began in 2018 when the cathedral sought a solution for their seating needs that would accommodate their diverse range of services and events.
The project, which resumed in early 2023 after a pause due to external factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the creation of 2,000 custom-designed chairs tailored specifically for the cathedral’s requirements. Each chair, a modified version of ICS’s renowned ICON 40 chair, was meticulously crafted to compliment the cathedral’s existing architecture, featuring a darker stain, and engraved with the cathedral’s iconic Rose Window emblem.
Read more: New York cathedral gets bespoke furniture to accommodate diverse needs
Cliveden Conservation’s expertise is required for the ‘Our Cultural Heart’ project in Huddersfield town centre
Cliveden Conservation has been subcontracted by BAM – the principal contractor for Kirklees Council’s Our Cultural Heart project in Huddersfield – to conserve the Fritz Steller pieces of art and other heritage building material as part of the redevelopment of the Grade II Listed former Queensgate Market building.
A condition survey of the ten decorative ceramic panels entitled 'Articulation in Movement' created by German sculptor Fritz Steller (1941-2015) has been undertaken by Cliveden Conservation. The survey informs a programme of conservation repair works to the panels on the eastern elevation of the Queensgate Market building. The works will be carried out in 2025.
Careful conservation allows candelabra to shine again
The Church of St Michael and All Angels is in Skelbrooke, a small village to the north of Doncaster, beside the A1 trunk road. The church is listed Grade II by Historic England, with a chantry chapel recorded on the church site as early as 1338.
Some elements of a medieval church survive, including some stone arches between the chancel and chantry chapel. They were bricked up during the reformation in 1549 and are some of the few early features to survive a serious fire that destroyed much of the church building in 1870.
Read more: Careful conservation allows candelabra to shine again
York firms embark on iconic city building’s conservation project
York’s Bar Convent is undertaking a major conservation project, in conjunction with local contractors, that will involve the careful restoration or renewal of many of the building’s original features, helping to ensure the historic property is preserved for future generations to celebrate and enjoy.
Famed for being Britain’s oldest living convent and the country’s second ever school for girls, the Bar Convent is one of the city’s best known buildings, located on the corner of Nunnery Lane and Blossom Street near Micklegate Bar. Formally known as the Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, it houses an 18th-century chapel which features the relic of St Margaret Clitherow, a modern exhibition, an award-winning 22-bedroom guest house, café, gift shop, garden and three meeting rooms.
Read more: York firms embark on iconic city building’s conservation project
How urban mining can help reach net-zero goals
When considering the heritage buildings of the future, the carbon footprint not only of the buildings in operation, but also the process of construction and the building’s life span – from design, through construction to demolition. An innovative, circular approach is emerging that has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of construction significantly: urban mining. Here, traditional brickmakers Michelmersh explain the process and its advantages.
Ebenezer Evangelical Church adopts live streaming solution
Thanks to the expertise of audio-visual integrator Vaughan Sound, Ebenezer Evangelical Church in Neath Abbey now benefits from an intuitive live streaming system – facilitating remote, online services.
Situated between junctions 43 and 44 of the M4 motorway, the church approached Vaughan Sound looking for a means of streaming their services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Lockdown guidelines and restrictions had greatly restricted the number of participants that could physically attend this small worship venue.
Read more: Ebenezer Evangelical Church adopts live streaming solution
VISIT OUR ASSOCIATED SITES
