Victoria Baths

Sector: Buildings of Historical Interest

Main Contractor: William Anelay Limited

Architect: Lloyd Evans Pritchard

Services
• Lime Plastering
• Repair and restoration of ornate plaster mouldings

 

Built in 1903 by Manchester Corporation, the Grade II* listed baths are testament to the pride and attention to detail which early 20th century municipal bodies took when creating public buildings. The baths were in constant use until closure in 1993, but the building was then left derelict until The Friends of Victoria Baths (Victoria Baths Trust) was formed to restore it.

In September 2003, following a public phone vote, the Victoria Baths project was chosen for the first series of the BBC’s Restoration programme. An award of £3.4 million from The Heritage Lottery Fund funded the project, together with money raised from the phone vote. The first phase of restoration began in March 2007 and concluded in September 2008.

Ornate Interiors was charged with carrying out extensive internal plastering tasks over a 14-week period. The works included applying traditional haired lime plaster to many of the internal walls and ceilings, as well as restoring a number of sections of damaged cornice.

It was disappointing to see that yet another landmark building had previously been repaired inappropriately, either because of limited technical knowledge or insufficient funding. Gypsum plasters – which are neither sympathetic nor breathable – had been used for patch repairs that had merely exacerbated problems.

All gypsum plasters were removed and replaced with lath and lime plaster. A complete new ceiling was created for the Aerotone Room, the home of the first-ever “Jacuzzi” in a public baths in England. Quirk moulds, a rounded external angle, were run in-situ using running moulds and a gig stick. A gig stick allows for the craftsman to create varying curved radii to be formed when attached to a running mould.

Further existing ceilings were screwed back into their original place using the penny-washer and screw method before being patched with haired lime plaster. The damaged cornices were repaired and remoulded in-situ by hand. This phase of the project was completed on time and under budget. In 2009 The Trust secured funds to carry on to the next phase of restoration.

“The historic fabric has been sympathetically restored using the appropriate methods and materials to suit the original construction of the building. It now has a far greater chance of surviving the rigours of the 21st Century.”
Ronnie Clifford, Managing Director of Ornate Interiors

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