Roxburghe House

London, W1B 2HG – July 2017

Styles Façade Solutions® (formerly Thomann-Hanry®) was appointed by JLL on behalf of The Crown Estate to carry out commercial building facade cleaning and restoration on Roxburghe House’s exterior. Because the building houses offices and retail along a busy commercial street, work had to happen entirely at night, with equipment cleared before morning rush hour. Rather than erecting disruptive scaffolding, the team used a scaffold-free approach with MEWPs and the Façade Gommage system.

The project began by removing years of dirt, grime and biofilm caused by traffic and London’s weather. The Gommage method blows ultra-fine aluminium silicate powder at low pressure to strip soiling without damaging the stone beneath.

Stonemasons, painters and restorers then repaired stonework, secured loose slates and redecorated over 100 windows—completing everything within 30 nights while minimising disruption to surrounding businesses.

Solutions provided

Façade Cleaning Façade Surveys Façade Repairs & Restoration Stone Masonry

Styles Façade Solutions® prepares to clean the weathered stonework of Roxburghe House, London, ahead of a full façade restoration. This "before" image captures the accumulated grime and staining across the building's upper storeys, illustrating the scale of work required to restore the façade.

ANOTHER GREAT CLEAN DOWN REGENT STREET

Regent Street, one of the main high-end shopping destinations in Europe, was originally constructed to the plans of one of the UK’s key architects of the Georgian and Regency eras, John Nash. The original buildings on the site were neoclassical-inspired stucco-fronted affluent residential properties with high-end store fronts; by the mid-18th Century, this had shifted towards more commercial properties.

By the 1870s, as "rinkomania" swept London, part of the site was redeveloped into a large roller-skating rink known as the Oxford Circus Rink. Following the fad’s decline, the rink closed in 1882 and was acquired by the Salvation Army, who repurposed it as their high-profile West End centre, Regent Hall.

In the early 1920s, The Crown Estate, looking to redevelop the ageing, crumbling stucco blocks of Nash, instructed a comprehensive rebuild to take place, and the monumental Portland stone façade of Roxburghe House (273-287 Regent Street) was constructed to the designs of architects Trehearne and Norman and was completed in late 1927.

Night-time view of Roxburghe House, London, illuminated against a dark blue sky as workers in a cherry picker platform conduct façade cleaning by Styles Façade Solutions®. The freshly lit stonework and decorative brackets glow warmly, with a street sign for "Euston" and "Marble Arch" in the foreground. Working after hours minimises disruption to ground-floor retailers and the surrounding community below.

OVERNIGHT RESTORATIONS ON LONDON’S PREMIER SHOPPING STREET

Styles Façade Solutions® was appointed by JLL on behalf of The Crown Estate to carry out commercial building facade cleaning and restoration on the building's exterior. As the property accommodates a mix of office and retail businesses along a major commercial street, it was imperative that all operations took place strictly at night, with all equipment completely removed before the early morning rush hour.

Erecting fixed scaffolding was ruled out as far too disruptive and visually intrusive. Styles Façade Solutions was selected specifically for its scaffold-free approach using MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms) with the Façade Gommage system. This allowed for seamless out-of-hours working, with all equipment fully cleared from site at the end of every shift.

The first part of the project focused on commercial building façade cleaning, which over the years had become discoloured with dirt, grime and biofilm due to the surrounding urban environment with a high traffic flow below as well as the distinctive London weather. The Façade Gommage cleaning process uses ultra-fine Aluminium silicate powder, which is gently blown over the surface of the façade (at below 4-Bar) to safely erase the surface soiling to leave only the pristine, original-coloured stone below.

Styles Façade Solutions® delivers a brightened, restored façade at Roxburghe House through scheduled night-time cleaning. This daytime view shows the busy junction fully operational, with retailers open and traffic flowing freely, demonstrating how thoughtful scheduling protects business continuity while achieving outstanding cleaning results.

A COMPLETE EXTERIOR REFURBISHMENT IN UNDER 30 NIGHTS

Following the façade clean, our team of expert stonemasons, painters and restorers got to work on delivering the final touches to the project. This included repairing damaged stonework, securing loose slates and redecorating over 100 windows.

The whole project was delivered in under 30 nights, while minimising disruption and delays to the businesses, retailers and wider local communities in and surrounding Roxburghe House. The results have helped to turn back the clock on this impressive building and restored it to its original appearance.

“Once again, we have been called upon to rejuvenate a landmark property along Regent Street. Our specialist cleaning and restoration techniques mean a scaffold-free project can be delivered to a high standard while minimising the disruption to the occupants and the wider community.”
Mark Styles, Managing Director, Styles Façade Solutions

See the links below for more examples of the results Styles Façade Solutions® (formerly Thomann-Hanry®) can deliver for your business.

Call our team TODAY on +44 (0) 20 8453 1494, alternatively use the contact us form for a FREE project quote or for more information on how Styles Façade Solutions® can help your commercial or heritage property.