Following a rethink, The Concrete Jungle has decided to go back to it’s original content style. Rather then keeping everyone up to date with the latest construction news, much the same as every other construction website. We’ve decided to go back to reporting on the game changers in the industry.
We are a predominantly sustainable focused website with innovation and restorations/renovations thrown in so with that being said, our latest article is a case study that has been provided to us by Thomann-Hanry®. They worked on the restoration of the King’s College landmarks in Cambridge and below you can find out more.
Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is internationally renowned for its stunning classical architecture. With many university buildings dating back hundreds of years, Cambridge is a location of global architectural importance.
However, with the city now attracting 5.3 million visitors a year, the increasingly damaging effects of pollution on its historic buildings is clear to see, with majestic façades tarnished by decades of accumulated dirt and grime.
A significant drawback of traditional cleaning methods is that they require buildings to be shrouded in scaffolding for months on end, inconveniencing occupants, staff and visitors alike and, in the case of university buildings, disrupting student life.
Moreover, as these techniques use chemicals, detergents and water, contaminants can migrate further into the stonework, exacerbating the problem.
In 2015, King’s College took a different approach. Working with conservation teams and Historic England, London-based specialists Thomann-Hanry® were tasked with cleaning and restoring the Grade I Listed Gibbs’ Building. The second-oldest building in the college, it dates back to the 1720s and was named after its architect William Gibbs, who also designed St Martin-in-the-Fields in London and Oxford’s Radcliffe Camera.
Using a technique known as façade gommage®, Thomann-Hanry® cleaned the entire façade, restoring 2,500 square metres of White Portland Stone to its original neoclassical splendour in just 12 weeks – all without scaffolding, water or chemicals.
The patented façade gommage® method projects sharp, fine powders under compressed air, gently loosening, lifting and removing dirt and contaminants to reveal the stonework beneath, undamaged and pristine.
Operating from a cabin on a hydraulic boom, the process requires no scaffolding and can reach areas inaccessible to more conventional methods. However, its primary advantage is the gentleness of the technique, making it ideal for heritage and Listed buildings and, as a result, finding favour with Historic England.
Delighted with the results on the Gibbs’ Building, King’s College commissioned Thomann-Hanry® to work on Chetwynd Court earlier this year. A Grade II Listed Building, Chetwynd Court was designed by George Gilbert Scott and built in 1869-70. Once again, façade gommage® was used to restore the building, returning the Ketton Stone elevations to their former glory.
As with the Gibbs’ Building, renovation and replacement work on all masonry, timber and fixtures was also undertaken by Thomann-Hanry’s® dedicated team of craftsmen to reveal the building as it looked 150 years before. Achieved in the space of three weeks, it is a transformation of almost magical proportions.
Using façade gommage®, Thomann-Hanry® continue to rejuvenate some of the world’s most iconic buildings, from the Bank of England and The Ritz in London to global landmarks including the Kremlin Palace Hall and the Louvre Museum.
View a short video documenting their groundbreaking work on two of Cambridge’s most iconic buildings.
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[…] Restoring King’s College landmarks to their former glories. […]