Conservation & Heritage Issue 49 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 92
ASWS demonstr ates
mastery of metals on
Olympia’s copper canopy
Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) has taken its working relationship with Erith
Contractors to a new level, while demonstrating its skills in working on all types of
architectural metalwork. This was done through its involvement with the painstaking
dismantling and restoration of an ornate copper clad canopy, which adorns the main elevation
to the old Olympia building in London’s Kensington.
ASWS has worked with Erith on a number of projects in
recent years, including assisting with enablement work
on projects such as 120 Fleet Street and the Whiteleys
Shopping Centre in West London. ASWS has become
the demolition specialist’s go-to partner for the forensic
removal and conservation of historic features, as well as
other enablement tasks.
As is often the case with listed buildings, ASWS was
initially involved with carrying out a detailed survey of
the frontage to the famous exhibition centre, producing a
report and creating detailed drawings of the long copper
canopy. This assisted the project architects, Heatherwick
Studio in obtaining planning consent. A series of scans
and detailed record keeping will assist the canopy’s
eventual reinstatement.
Danny Mercer, who was Erith’s Contract Manager on the
project, commented, “This has been a major project for
us in terms of the complexity and during the nearly four
years I was running it we had around 40-50 men a week
on site; with our primary responsibility being demolition,
along with temporary façade support employing steelwork
and kentledge.”
Below, Olympia the exhibition hall in London where ASWS restored
the architectural metalwork, keeping the historical features intact
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