Conservation & Heritage Issue 50 Winter 2025/Spring 2026 - Flipbook - Page 120
Addressing Original Detailing
A Flagship Cultural Destination
A significant challenge lay in the building’s original exterior
detailing. The original copper fascias had been installed
without adequate ventilation, leading to damp and rot.
Critically, the copper was reacting with the aluminium
windows below, causing bi-metallic corrosion.
The Jewry Wall Museum opened in July 2025, featuring
an expanded and modernised exhibition showcasing the
history of Roman Leicester, a 270-degree immersive visual
experience, easy accessibility, new cafe, gift shop and
classrooms for educational use and private hire. Visitors are
also offered clear views of the Roman Bathhouse remains.
To resolve this, maber decided to permanently replace the
failing copper with anthracite zinc fascias. This intervention
eliminated corrosion risk and improved detailing introduced
ventilation, ensuring the long-term protection of the building
envelope while respecting the original aesthetic profile.
maber’s pragmatic and technically rigorous approach ensured
the survival of this landmark project, delivering a museum
that was recognised as the ‘Large Non-Residential Scheme of
the Year’ at the ProCon Leicestershire Awards 2025.
Thermal and Security Performance
Upgrading the thermal and security performance of the
original building without compromising the historic
significance required a sensitive and considered approach.
•
Aluminium Conservation: Instead of opting for a
wholesale replacement, the team undertook extensive
in-situ trials to save the original aluminium windows.
The frames were treated with a hydrochloric acid
solution to remove surface corrosion and finished with
a clear ceramic coating, providing a durable, long-term
protective finish.
•
Steel Window Upgrades: To achieve the necessary
security rating for the main exhibition space, maber
specified a slimmer laminated glass capable of fitting
within the existing shallow rebates of the steel windows.
This allowed for the retention of the sightlines and
frames while meeting performance requirements.
•
Above, exterior of the Jewry Wall Museum,
photography by Ian Harris, Executive Director at maber
Timber Repairs: Where timber sills had succumbed
to rot, splice repairs and sectional replacements
were utilised. This approach was agreed with the
Conservation Officers as a pragmatic method to retain
as much historic fabric as possible.
Restoring the Brutalist Interior
Revitalising the interior required a forensic approach to
cleaning and matching the original mid-century finishes.
To expose the striking concrete vaulting, which had been
obscured by layers of paint, the team employed a multi-stage
cleaning process. Following the use of chemical poultices
and DOFF steam cleaning to remove the majority of paint
finishes, further trials identified crushed glass as the optimal
medium to remove the remaining residue still present in
the concrete pores. This effectively removed the final paint
residue without abrading and removing the original delicate
boardmarked texture.
In repairing and reinstating the terrazzo floor, the team
extensively and meticulously reviewed over 40 different
samples. This was to ensure the new flooring closely matched
the background colour, aggregate sizes and colours, and
ratios and colour distribution.
© Martine Hamilton Knight
Planning | Experience
| Placemaking
Above, interior of the Jewry Wall Museum,
photography by Ian Harris, Executive Director at maber
haleysharpe.com
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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