Restoration of 75 oak sliding sash windows at liverpool landmark

Key features: Commercial, Grade I Listed, Sash Windows, Public Building, Renovation, Victorian

Ventrolla have been asked to assist with the restoration of one of the world’s finest neo-classical buildings, St George’s Hall in Liverpool.

Attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship were the order of the day when Ventrolla oversaw the restoration of 75 original oak sliding sash windows at St George’s Hall, which is Grade I Listed, houses the city’s Heritage Centre and dates back to the mid 1800s.

Using their sash window expertise, Ventrolla set up a workshop on site to carry out accurate scarfing and splicing-in of oak sections and, sticking to its principle of minimum intervention, managed to retain as much of the original window timber as possible.

The team worked in conjunction with Contractor, Mowlem Plc and Architect, Purcell Miller Tritton, who were responsible for delivering the £23 million restoration of St George’s Hall as part of the preparations for Liverpool’s year as “European City of Culture”. A spokesperson from Ventrolla said:

“We were so honoured to be able to work on such a prestigious period building.”

Additional work to the windows included replacing damaged or non-original glass, fitting new sash cords, replacing damaged sills and rebalancing each sash. The original brass centre catches and sash pulls were also cleaned and re-finished, plus new oak staff and parting beads were installed.

The foundation stone for St George’s Hall was laid in 1838 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria, although construction did not start until 1842.

It opened for public use in 1854 as a multipurpose community building, hosting music festivals while also doubling up as the city’s civil and crown courts. St George’s Hall fell in to disrepair in the 1980s, but following its recent restoration has become a focal point for cultural, community, civic, corporate and performing arts activities.

The building stands 169ft long and 74ft wide. It has a tunnel vaulted ceiling – the largest of its kind in Europe – and a priceless mosaic floor made from 30,000 individual tiles.

Ventrolla offers a bespoke renovation service for timber sliding sash and casement windows, as well as timber doors. The company has its central office in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with additional locations throughout the UK and Ireland.