1-15 Templeton Place
In 2019, Styles Façade Solutions® (formerly Thomann-Hanry®) was appointed to deliver a full Hotel facade restoration at the former K+K Hotel George Kensington, stripping over 20 layers of paint from 1,440m² of brickwork within a conservation area. Following a preparatory survey identifying lead-based paint, all works complied with CLAW regulations, using scaffolding, a temporary roof and Monoflex sheeting for safe containment.
Our Hotel facade restoration team, alongside stonemasons and labourers, worked seven days a week to reveal original carved features, repoint 210m² of brickwork, and rebuild 40 corbels.
The façade refurbishment concluded with lime-based renders, 210kg of Keim mineral paint, restored timber windows, re-asphalted balconies, and redecorated metalwork — a benchmark project among façade restoration companies London trusts for commercial building restoration.
Solutions provided
Styles Façade Solutions® survey team conducts a detailed commercial façade survey at 1-15 Templeton Place, London, using a MWEP to access the upper storeys and roofline of the building, prior to works for the repair and restoration of the façade.
RESTORATION AT 1-15 TEMPLETON PLACE
The steady, continued gentrification of Earl’s Court in recent times has seen many corners of this SW5 enclave restored from faded bohemian grandeur to chic refinement and sophistication. In an area where stuccoed terraced houses with Italianate dressings rub shoulders with Jacobean and Second Empire influences, the Miiro Templeton Garden originated as six historic townhouses on Templeton Place.
Styles Façade Solutions® was approached in 2019 to restore the façades of the grand property (then known as K+K Hotel George Kensington). With over 20 layers of paint across over 1,440m2 façade obscuring the original brickwork, this project was as much about careful removal as it was about preservation and refurbishment. Moreover, its location within a designated conservation area meant securing local authority consent was a prerequisite before even a single coat of paint could be removed.
The starting point of the project was a meticulous preparatory survey to establish best practice and mitigate any unforeseen structural risks. Given the age of the buildings, there was a strong possibility that hazardous substances such as lead, or arsenic were present in the paintwork. Once lead was identified, all works were legally required to conform strictly to the Control of Lead at Work (CLAW) regulations to ensure safe and compliant containment and disposal.
Styles Façade Solutions® operative carefully chisels away severely deteriorated render from ornate scroll-bracket detailing at 1-15 Templeton Place, London, using hand tools to remove decayed stucco during façade repair works, preparing the historic decorative feature for careful restoration and re-rendering.
DIAGNOSIS, CONTAINMENT AND STRUCTURAL PREPARATION
Alongside the presence of lead, the survey revealed other significant issues. These included sub-surface corrosion within the ferrous bracketry and moisture retention trapped against the masonry by multiple layers of paint. As a result, Styles Façade Solutions® recommended stripping the building back to its original brickwork, enabling the façade to be redecorated with authentic, age-appropriate materials, such as lime-based renders and breathable mineral paints.
With the project scheduled over a three-month duration, and due to the complex, hazardous nature of the works required, we took the decision to scaffold the site, complete with a temporary roof and Monoflex sheeting to help prevent any flakes of lead-based paint from escaping the site.
At times, all 10 members of our specialist painting and decorating division were deployed to the project. Working structured 10-hour shifts, seven days a week, they were joined on-site by stonemasons, a restoration specialist and four labourers. The team managed daily deliveries of specialised materials alongside the safe removal of toxic waste products such as lead paint flakes. Due to the high lead content, the team wore advanced PPE to ensure the on-site safety of personnel.
UNEARTHING DETAILS BENEITH LAYERS OF PAINT
As the heavy layers of historical paint were systematically removed, beautifully ornate original features, such as carved lion heads on the mouldings, were revealed for the first time in decades. Previously decayed pointing on 210 m2 of exposed brickwork was painstakingly cut, restoring the façade to its original glory.
Damaged bricks were either repaired in situ or replaced entirely after the paint layers were chemically stripped and refined using micro-abrasives. Furthermore, 40 architectural corbels across the frontage, many previously held together only by paint film itself, were meticulously stabilised and rebuilt by our restoration team.
HERITAGE RECOVERY AND BESPOKE DECORATION
Timber doors, sash windows, frames and sills were all professionally prepared and repainted. The masonry, window surrounds and restored corbels were finished with protective lime-based renders and over 210kg of premium Keim mineral paint.
To complete the comprehensive restoration, balconies were re-asphalted, architectural leadwork was installed on the main cornice, discreet bird-deterrent systems were fitted to all ledges and all perimeter metalwork, including balcony railings and downpipes, was fully redecorated
The results of this intricate hotel facade restoration demonstrate how the specialist team at Styles Façade Solutions® can provide exemplary results that renew and revive tired, structurally damaged historic assets to a standard that befits a prestigious London property.
See the links below for more examples of the results Styles Façade Solutions® (formerly Thomann-Hanry®) can deliver for your business.
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