South East Galvanizers' expertise has seen it play a key role in the rejuvenation of an old textiles warehouse into a block of luxury apartments.
The Witham-based plant was called upon to provide its specialist hot-dip galvanizing service to 25 tonnes of decorative steelwork used to create a series of balconies installed at ‘The Drapery’, a major property development in the London borough of Islington that has seen the former site of the North London Drapery Store converted into 111 residential flats.
Local architectural metalwork company Metalcraft Tottenham Ltd used the steel to fabricate and fit woven wire balconies in the complex’s internal courtyard, along with 400 metres of matching balustrades around the building’s roof.
Originally built in 1938, the art deco-inspired department store on the Seven Sisters Road was actually damaged by bombs during World War Two, but has remained a key landmark in the area for many decades. In addition to the new apartments, the mixed use development has also seen a number of shops and retail space retained on the building’s ground floor.
“The project at The Drapery really has managed to combine the style of its original art deco design with a very contemporary feel,” David Sugarman, of Metalcraft Tottenham Ltd, said. “One of the most interesting aspects of the project is that the garden in the courtyard where we have installed the balconies has actually been constructed on the flat roof of the original store.”
Neil Pearson, Commercial Manager of South East Galvanizers, commented: “We’ve worked with Metalcraft Tottenham on a range of prestigious projects over a number of years now, and were delighted to have been asked to lend a hand to the fantastic series of balconies they created for The Drapery.”