Two of Covent Garden’s most illustrious landmarks have undergone meticulous restoration to uphold their long-standing legacy and much-loved traditional features. Leading both projects was international design practice, BDP which enlisted the help of experts in heritage lighting, William Sugg & Co. to refurbish, restore and replicate a collection of historical lighting throughout Covert Garden Market and at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Taking place over several years, the restoration project will help to preserve the heritage of some of the capital’s most cherished locations for centuries to come.
Covent Garden Piazza
The world renowned, Covent Garden Market is located in the heart of the West End, and dates back to the early 17th Century. Today it is home to a unique array of luxurious fashion and beauty retailers, award-winning restaurants and theatres, visited annually by over 44 million people.
To ensure the iconic market retains its prestigious status and continues to stand the test of the time, owners, real estate investment trust, Shaftesbury Capital, embarked on a reinvention refurbishment to replace the external lighting scheme, to enhance the visitor experience, prolong visits and encourage returning trips.
Experts in decorative heritage gas and electric exterior lighting for over 175 years, William Sugg & Co. were entrusted by project lead, BDP to update the external heritage lighting lining the market’s façade, incorporating new technology and more contemporary techniques.
William Sugg & Co.’s team of skilled artisans restored a total of 52 copper lanterns illuminating the walkways around the perimeter colonnade, and two of the large lanterns denoting the entrance archways to the internal squares. Throughout the restoration process, the recognized walkway lanterns were originally thought to be black, but once cleaned were revealed to be made of gleaming copper.
After extensive cleaning, the two larger lanterns in the main archways were revealed to be made partly of wood, an unexpected design detail, giving a variation of texture to the lantern.
The team of experts also replicated eight of the copper lanterns for replacements, as well as hand casting a total of 9 new brackets from the existing ones in place.
The original lighting was also upgraded with retrofitted Braun Mock Mantles. The new LED replicas of the traditional gas mantles will provide a more sustainable alternative, resulting in more energy efficient, cost-effective lanterns with the need for less maintenance.
To bring the grade II* listed historic market hall into the 21st Century, the general lighting was adjusted by increasing the number of lanterns but reducing the power consumption and source brightness of each individual fitting. The addition of modern optics with a warm colour temperature was added to create a uniform palette of evenly distributed lighting throughout, as well as preserving the market’s historical character and charm of a predominantly gas-lit conservation area.
“The work our craftsman carried out for this project was a testament to the prestigious historical landmark in itself. Over the course of 5 months, the team successfully restored, replaced and replicated the iconic Covent Garden lanterns so they can continue to be enjoyed by visitors. The addition of more lanterns and the advancement in technology used has enabled us to achieve a wonderful result, enhancing the iconic features and presence of this beloved landmark.” explains Lucy Bubb, Managing Director of William Sugg & Co.
The extensive refurbishment has also helped improve night-time safety and security, as well as aligning with the client’s goal to lower energy consumption and minimise waste by successfully repurposing and restoring the original hanging lanterns.
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Situated on the oldest theatre site in London still in use today and nestled in the capital’s West End, the Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building in Covent Garden. Originally opening in 1812, the current theatre has one of the largest auditoriums in London’s West End and has played host to some of the city’s iconic musicals including, Miss Saigon, My Fair Lady and Oliver!
At over 200 years old, the theatre required some extensive restoration, to restore it to its original splendour and conserve its heritage, but re-imagined for the 21st Century. Under the ownership of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, LW Theatres embarked on a multimillion-pound major refurbishment, including a complete overhaul of the internal and external lighting.
Project lead, Haworth Tompkins and lighting designers, BDP entrusted the intricate and elaborate lighting refurbishment to William Sugg & Co. whose team of heritage specialists took a meticulous approach to ensure the preservation of the authenticity of the fittings. The team’s restoration journey begun by collaborating with historians to identify the most appropriate methods, which led them to Heaton Hall, a Grade I listed 18th-century country house in Manchester, where they conducted detailed 3D scans on-site to capture every intricate detail of the original fixtures – similar to those found at the Theatre Royal. The scans were then used to produce precise engineered drawings and casting patterns, ensuring an exact reproduction of the historic designs.
The result was an exquisitely detailed replication of the original torches featured in the lobby and staircase of the theatre, brought to life through traditional casting processes and resin patterns, created with innovative 3D scanning technology. Using the appropriate identified methods of bespoke design, heritage lighting techniques, handcrafting and 3D modelling, the William Sugg & Co. team also accurately produced gas flambeaux technicalities for the Victorian style torchieres located in the rotunda, balustrades, and ground floor, as well as the refurbishment of the exterior lights located on two entrances and specialist manufacture of bespoke fluted glass shades for the triple lamp light source design.
William Sugg & Co. provided a complete internal and external lighting technology upgrade, to replace the pre-existing metal halide to LED. To complete the newly refurbished theatre in all its glory, the team of expert craftsmen installed six new 3.2 metre gas flambeaus, taking centre stage on the external champagne terrace and adjacent balconies.
Preserving the historical grandeur of theatre was a considerable task, to ensure that any restoration or modernisation work must be carried out carefully and sensitively, which the team sought to do so with the close involvement of architectural heritage specialists and Historic England.
“This prestigious project was testament to our small team of crafts men and women who delivered above and beyond the client’s expectation. In addition to the production of intricate authentic fittings, the team also completed safe and efficient gas lighting engineering and installation, whilst ensuring minimal disruption during the refurbishment process.” comments Lucy Bubb, Managing Director of William Sugg & Co.
Through their expertise and meticulous research, the William Sugg & Co. heritage lighting specialists assisted in bringing the landmark theatre back to its original splendour with authentic lighting and the latest in lighting technology advancements, paying homage to its rich heritage and timeless architecture.
“We chose William Sugg & Co. to expertly assist us on both projects due to the company’s legacy in heritage lighting and expansive knowledge. Their team of skilled artisans worked to exceptionally high standards for these very specific heritage lighting projects. The team not only executed both briefs outstandingly, but went above and beyond to ensure every element, research, and expert advice was taken into consideration. We look forward to continuing our long-standing working partnership with them in the future.” concludes Jono Redden, Senior Lighting Designer at BDP.