Szerelmey Restoration Limited, the specialist in restoration and conservation of buildings has completed a £152,000 cleaning and restoration contract of 16-26 Gordon Square a Grade 2 listed building at University College London, Gordon Square, WC1, transforming it back to its original line and detail.

Szerelmey's involvement with this project commenced at a very early stage which allowed it to determine the best cleaning and restoration methods available. The fact it could give advice and plan throughout the process bought significant cost savings to the client.

Cleaning samples were carried out prior to work beginning to ensure no damage would be done to a listed building and to show the client what could be achieved without damaging the fabric.


Szerelmey used the Jos cleaning system, a method which is specifically designed for the gentle and safe but very effective cleaning of historic buildings. An abrasive cleaning median called Unil 250 Grade was sprayed through the system’s specialised nozzle which culminates into a gentle swirling vortex that is so gentle the stonemason’s original tooling marks can be left intact.

The building had been exceptionally dirty and cleaning revealed many defects and fractures within the render. Some stucco render had spalled off the façades while other areas had worn away.

Restoration involved carefully removing the fractured and damaged render and reinstating it. The cornices along the length of the whole façades required particular attention and were restored to their original line and detail using a traditional sand and lime mix.

Mark Chivers of Szerelmey said: "The building looks stunning, I think it really shows what planned restoration work can do for an historic building."

(CD/GK)