Auction House

Sector: Commercial
Main Contractor: Killby and Gayford
Architect: Walker Nicolas

Services
• Restoration and reproduction of ornate plaster mouldings
• Entacised GRG Column Casings
• Metal suspension framework

This major London Auction House undertook a complete restoration of one of its public galleries. Before work began, Ornate Interiors, together with the main contractor Killby Gayford, attended a design and programming workshop at the offices of the architects Walker Nicolas. They left with a brief to produce bespoke entacised column casings, replicate the existing cornices and beam mouldings and restore a unique filigree moulding.

The term entasis derives from classical Greek and refers to the application of a convex curve to a column to counteract the optical illusion that makes a column appear narrower or weaker in its mid-section if it tapers normally. The entacised columns at The Auction House were 3.5m high and were required to cover existing round metal columns in the gallery. Ornate Interiors devised a metal suspension framework for the beam casing, to which the columns were also secured.

The fibrous cornice, which formed the lighting trough in the roof space, was replicated from an existing cornice. All mouldings were manufactured in the Leeds workshop and transported to site for installation. Repairs were also made by hand to the domed roof units.

The project started in the Summer of 2011 and took six months to complete.

“Ornate Interiors’ design expertise was very valuable as the new mouldings needed to incorporate some of the lighting features and services.”
Agata Zamasz of Walker Nicholas Architects

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