Conservation & Heritage Issue 49 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 95
Restoring 93 Mortimer
Street: A Heritage Window
Specialist’s Journey
As part of The Langham Estate’s £50 million investment in preserving its heritage buildings,
93 Mortimer Street - a Grade II listed building in the heart of Fitzrovia - has recently
undergone a comprehensive programme of restoration. Paddy Jones, Managing Director of
Hawkscroft Limited, who specialise in the repair, refurbishment and sensitive replacement of
historic windows, discusses their role in the project.
The six-storey Neo-Greek style building, designed by
architects W and E Hunt between 1906 and 1910,
presented unique challenges with regard to the
restoration of its windows. Construction company
Richardsons Nyewood appointed our company as the
specialist contractor to refurbish the building’s existing
historic windows.
One hundred and forty three metal windows which
varied significantly in size, shape and architectural style,
were earmarked for refurbishment - however our detailed
inspection revealed that six windows were beyond repair.
The client requested faithful “like-for-like” replacements
for the irreparable windows, based on the original design
of the windows in the Great Hall.
All window frames, including those processed in-situ,
received a comprehensive repainting programme using
heritage-appropriate materials.
Only five percent of the original glazing could be
salvaged during the restoration process. We sourced
cylinder-blown glass as an authentic looking replacement,
ensuring that the traditional appearance was maintained.
All existing ironmongery was carefully polished and
reconditioned using traditional heritage methods.
Using historic photographs for reference, we meticulously
copied the original design and layout to produce
authentic looking reproductions featuring comparable
steel profiles and sightlines. The complex window
replacement consisted of a striking four metre high
window comprising of 54 individual panes, complete
with ornate brass ironmongery manufactured to exact
specifications to match the existing heritage fixtures.
Overcoming restoration challenges
Nine windows required in-situ restoration due to
their restrictive apertures and the risk of damaging
surrounding stonework during removal. This demanding
process involved carefully masking the existing stonework
before painstakingly stripping the metal frames using
precision power tools and hand-abrading techniques to
remove layers of accumulated paint.
The remaining windows were removed from their
apertures without damage to the existing stonework and
transported to our specialist workshop. Here, blasting
provided a more efficient method of paint removal from
the metal frames.
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