Theatres

Hayles and Howe have broad experience of inspection, conservation and restoration of ornamental plasterwork and Scagliola in Theatres and public buildings throughout the world and specialise in sensitive remodelling of historic interiors to integrate modern technology

Theatre restoration has for many years been one of Hayles and Howe’s major interests. As an international company they have enjoyed working on many of the worlds wonderful theatres helping to restore them to their former glories.

Restoration projects in Theatres often requires Hayles and Howe to carry out time consuming, accurate, technical, and careful research to find the original identity of the design and manufacture of the Theatre and its plasterwork.

The Conservation of Theatres is also a major part of Hayles and Howe’s expertise offering a ceiling safety certification and inspection service.  As most Theatres contain a broad mix of building materials collected from each era through which they have passed most old Theatres require some careful treatment to preserve their fibrous plasterwork.  The structure of a fibrous panel, being more than half composed of organic material attached to timber struts, leaves it highly vulnerable to attack by moisture and all forms of cellulose moulds and fungi. The most important part of fibrous conservation is therefore prevention via a regular inspection.  When completing an Inspection of a Theatre ceiling Hayles and Howe access the roof space behind the ceiling to assess its true condition, this space should be cleaned and the structure monitored regularly thus reducing fire damage and keeping the weight of the potential debris at a minimum. The company will also assess the ventilation, moisture content and where possible any original suspension points of the ceiling and roof for any potential areas of concern.

Hayles and Howe are available to help Theatres with their ceiling inspections or certification. Please call us on 0117 972 7200 or alternatively email theatres@haylesandhowe.co.uk

An additional service we are now able to offer is a 3D laser scan of your building . The 3D scanner is an incredible piece of technology which enables you to capture any environment in any condition with millimetre accuracy. The scanner is operated by our skilled designer and provides cost efficient working and ease of use on site.

The point cloud data can be used to create fly through videos, Webshare interactive files and reflective ceiling plans either in captured light or hand traced drawings.

Royal Opera House – Case Study

A part revamp of the Royal Opera House’ auditorium saw our team suspended on a ‘flying carpet’ platform to repair and redecorate the fibrous ceiling plaster work. The project took two weeks and saw the team repair the balcony fronts and survey the frieze above the stage.