London stone specialists Putney & Wood have just completed the development of 5,300m2 of prime office space a stone’s throw from the Bank of England in the City of London.
The development at 1-3 Kings Arms Yard for Cornerstone City Developments to designs by architect Rolfe Judd and with project management by F&C Property Asset Management, combines two adjacent buildings, retaining part of the original Tokenhouse Yard façade adjacent to Grade II listed Georgian buildings.
The complexity of the scheme earned it the reputation of being a tough nut to crack throughout the stone industry.
Putney & Wood’s association with it dates back to 2002 when they won the contract to survey, dismantle and store a large quantity of the original stonework as part of the demolition and enabling works.
Main contractors Wates then appointed Putney & Wood to carry out the complex stonework package, which combined new Portland limestone cladding, the cleaning and restoration of existing Portland stone and the reinstatement of the original Portland stone and Yorkstone that had been stored by Putney & Wood since they dismantled it six years earlier. Purney & Wood also worked on the interiors, installing Balzac limestone cladding and flooring.
The new build element of the contract involved the design detail, procurement and installation of 1,350m2 of new Portland limestone cladding to match the retrained façade.
The restoration element involved evaluating and, where appropriate, cleaning and carefully re-working 38 plain ashlar and 152 decorative stones of the original stonework at their factory in Grays, Essex.
The original 1925 construction used load-bearing masonry, and Putney & Wood had to cut it down to make it lighter and thinner in order for it to be used as cladding. Once the original stone was cleaned and re-worked, it was sent back to site to be reinstated.
Eric Graham of Wates said: “We knew this was going to be a difficult job for any stone contractor. We’re pleased that Putney & Wood have risen to the challenge well. Their workmanship is second to none.”