Listed Building Conservation
Project location: Hove Library, Sussex
A dedicated heritage and listed building conservation team
Hove Library is a Grade II listed building situated on Church Road in the Town Centre. Stress UK’s Heritage Division provided a total solution including:
- Site Investigation
- Consultancy
- Research
- Specification
- Conservation
- Installation
Careful restoration and replacement glazing
The Cupola had deteriorated to the point of failure and required a significant amount of intervention to allow it to function as originally intended. The patchwork of historical repairs obscured many original features.
Stress UK’s Heritage division
- Sympathetic restoration
- Up to date techniques and products
- Careful reinstatement of original features
- Glazing, masonry, brickwork and timber
A patchwork of repairs
Flash banding applied in various places to plug leaks and cover rotten timber.
Full site investigation
Our inspection uncovered and recorded the original construction and features. A detailed photographic record of all elements with descriptions and measurements was made.
Assessing what could be retained
We researched the possibility of retaining the original glass but found the general condition was poor and taking it’s prominent location in a functional pubic building into account the decision was made to replace the glazing with new glass panels made to current building standards.
Historic glass replacement panels
No two of the 16 glazing panels were the same and each one was measured individually with a separate bespoke template made.
Protective batoning
Protective batoning for the timber glazing bars were constructed to go over the original. This was to ensure that even though new glass was being installed the original timber work was protected and the process remained reversible.
Crafted by hand
STRESS Heritage constructed 1:1 scale formers for the respective outer ribs to ensure the majority of new lead work could be installed without the danger of breaking the new replacement glass panels.
Careful fitment of glazing
Each of the 16 individual bespoke glass panels was carefully fitted by our team.
Renewed lead work to original design
Lead work was renewed following the original design features as closely as possible.
Refreshed and restored
The completed glass and lead works gave the cupola a new lease of life and now allows patrons of the library to enjoy the natural light as originally intended.