New stone floor transforms
historic Nottingham landmark
After nearly two years of consultation and six weeks of
complex work, The Exchange’s new stone floor has now been fully replaced.
The decision to replace the original floor, along with three
sets of new entrance doors, was taken by The Exchange’s management and owners
following the decline in the integrity of many of the stone flags, after eighty-five
years of constant wear had taken their toll. The stone for the new floor
underwent meticulous testing by the British Geological Survey to ensure it was exactly
the same type as the original, and consists of more than 25 tons of newly cut
York Stone.
The Exchange is arguably Nottingham’s most recognisable and
iconic building, becoming a noted landmark in the city over the 85 years since
it was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, on 22nd
May, 1929.
The Council House, Exchange Buildings and adjoining shops
were built between 1926 and 1929 and modelled on Milan's Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele by architect T.C. Howitt. On Howitt's death in 1968, The Times
described the building as 'probably still the finest municipal building outside
London', and English Heritage cited the Council House and The Exchange as 'an
exceptional example of C20th civic architecture.... enhanced by the
consistently high quality of the decorative art found throughout.'
Since 2010, The Exchange and Council House have been Grade
II* listed, putting the centre in the top 4% of important buildings of
historical interest in the country.
As such, replacing the floor was a detailed and sometimes
difficult process, which was carried out in a series of night-time works over
the six week period, meaning there was no disruption to access for tenants and
customers.
The original floor had courses of glass light bricks,
replaced in the 1980’s with terracotta bricks, which divided the arcade floor
into a number of ‘bays’. This convenient subdividing of the floor allowed the
work team from Nottingham-based UPC Management Services, to uplift and re-lay
each bay as a self-contained section. The more complicated central roundel,
located beneath The Exchange’s magnificent domed ceiling and incorporating an
inlaid compass motif, was laid last.
UPC MD Jonathan Simpson commented,
“This kind of work is inherently complicated, with the depth
of the original stones varying and the state of the underlying ground-base also
something of an unknown. I think the team have done a fantastic job in
overcoming these problems, with the overall look of the new floor sitting
perfectly with the original stonework of the surrounding buildings.”
The Exchange Centre Manager, Neil Fincham added, “The
fundamental aim of this work was to maintain this historic arcade in a manner
befitting its status and that, unquestionably, has been achieved. The colour of
the new stone is in complete contrast to that which it replaced, making the
centre immediately brighter. Although a long time in coming, the wait has
certainly been worthwhile, and with the addition of three sets of new entrance
doors as well, the result is a high quality and sympathetic refurbishment that puts
The Exchange on a firm footing for decades to come.”
After nearly two years of consultation and six weeks of
complex work, The Exchange’s new stone floor has now been fully replaced.
The decision to replace the original floor, along with three
sets of new entrance doors, was taken by The Exchange’s management and owners
following the decline in the integrity of many of the stone flags, after eighty-five
years of constant wear had taken their toll. The stone for the new floor
underwent meticulous testing by the British Geological Survey to ensure it was exactly
the same type as the original, and consists of more than 25 tons of newly cut
York Stone.
The Exchange is arguably Nottingham’s most recognisable and
iconic building, becoming a noted landmark in the city over the 85 years since
it was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, on 22nd
May, 1929.
The Council House, Exchange Buildings and adjoining shops
were built between 1926 and 1929 and modelled on Milan's Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele by architect T.C. Howitt. On Howitt's death in 1968, The Times
described the building as 'probably still the finest municipal building outside
London', and English Heritage cited the Council House and The Exchange as 'an
exceptional example of C20th civic architecture.... enhanced by the
consistently high quality of the decorative art found throughout.'
Since 2010, The Exchange and Council House have been Grade
II* listed, putting the centre in the top 4% of important buildings of
historical interest in the country.
As such, replacing the floor was a detailed and sometimes
difficult process, which was carried out in a series of night-time works over
the six week period, meaning there was no disruption to access for tenants and
customers.
The original floor had courses of glass light bricks,
replaced in the 1980’s with terracotta bricks, which divided the arcade floor
into a number of ‘bays’. This convenient subdividing of the floor allowed the
work team from Nottingham-based UPC Management Services, to uplift and re-lay
each bay as a self-contained section. The more complicated central roundel,
located beneath The Exchange’s magnificent domed ceiling and incorporating an
inlaid compass motif, was laid last.
UPC MD Jonathan Simpson commented,
“This kind of work is inherently complicated, with the depth
of the original stones varying and the state of the underlying ground-base also
something of an unknown. I think the team have done a fantastic job in
overcoming these problems, with the overall look of the new floor sitting
perfectly with the original stonework of the surrounding buildings.”
The Exchange Centre Manager, Neil Fincham added, “The
fundamental aim of this work was to maintain this historic arcade in a manner
befitting its status and that, unquestionably, has been achieved. The colour of
the new stone is in complete contrast to that which it replaced, making the
centre immediately brighter. Although a long time in coming, the wait has
certainly been worthwhile, and with the addition of three sets of new entrance
doors as well, the result is a high quality and sympathetic refurbishment that puts
The Exchange on a firm footing for decades to come.”
