As part of The Langham Estate's £50 million investment in preserving its heritage buildings, 93 Mortimer Street—a Grade II listed building in the heart of Fitzrovia—required a comprehensive refurbishment and restoration programme.
This six-storey Neo-Greek style building, designed by architects W and E Hunt between 1906 and 1910, presented unique challenges for window restoration. Construction company Richardsons Nyewood appointed Hawkscroft as the specialist contractor to refurbish all existing historic windows, recognising their expertise as the ideal match for this prestigious heritage project.
Summary of the work carried out
Of the 143 metal windows initially earmarked for refurbishment—varying significantly in size, shape and architectural style—detailed inspection revealed that six were beyond repair. The client requested faithful "like for like" replacements for these irreparable windows, based on the original design of the windows in the Great Hall.
Using historic photographs as reference materials, Hawkscroft meticulously copied the original design and layout to produce authentic reproductions featuring comparable steel profiles and sightlines. The complex replacement consisted of a striking 4-metre-tall window comprising 54 individual panes, complete with ornate brass ironmongery manufactured to exact specifications to match the existing heritage fixtures.
In-Situ Restoration Challenges: Nine windows required restoration in-situ due to their restrictive apertures and the risk of damaging surrounding stonework during removal. This demanding process involved carefully masking the existing stonework before painstakingly stripping the metal frames using precision power tools and hand-sanding techniques to remove layers of accumulated paint.
Workshop-Based Restoration: The remaining 137 windows were expertly removed from their apertures without any damage to the stonework and transported to Hawkscroft's specialist workshop. Here, sandblasting provided a more efficient method for paint removal from the metal frames. All frames—including those treated in-situ—received comprehensive treatment and repainting using heritage-appropriate materials.
Only 5% of the original glazing could be salvaged during the restoration process. Hawkscroft sourced cylinder blown glass as an authentic replacement, ensuring the traditional appearance was maintained. All existing ironmongery was carefully polished and reconditioned using traditional heritage skills and techniques.
Following restoration, all windows were precisely refitted within their original apertures. Where decorative timber sub-frames had deteriorated beyond repair, Hawkscroft created exact replicas incorporating the original fluted detailing and moulding profiles to ensure architectural continuity.
The comprehensive window restoration project was completed within a 7-month timeframe. Hawkscroft successfully delivered both faithful reproduction windows to replace those beyond repair and expertly restored the remaining heritage windows through a combination of in-situ and workshop-based techniques.
The restoration of 93 Mortimer Street is now complete and its unique character and architectural features preserved. The Langham Estate has announced that the Kamel Lazaar Foundation for Art and Culture will occupy the entire 10,000 square foot building, transforming this beautifully restored commercial property into a significant cultural landmark within London's vibrant Fitzrovia Quarter.
This project exemplifies how specialist heritage restoration can successfully balance conservation requirements with modern functionality, ensuring that London's architectural legacy continues to serve contemporary cultural purposes.
