Issue 40 winter 23 web - Flipbook - Page 9
Laying the ground for success
Introduced at the beginning of the 13th century from
France, encaustic tiles became popular in abbeys and royal
palaces.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as trial areas laid
in 1998 and 2004, the inconsistency in artwork quality,
and reproduction of the original designs, disrupted the
continuity of pattern across the floor.
As principle architect on the current Palace, Barry had
suggested the floors of several Halls, Galleries and
Corridors within the building be composed of this
prestigious material, embellished with spectacular heraldic
symbols.
Further, replacement tiles used in the latter half of the
20th century were around half the thickness of the
Minton originals. The original 25mm tiles were laid in soft
mortar and could accommodate movement without
cracking, whereas the 20th century ones, at 13mm thick,
were designed to be laid on a hard mortar bedding as a
floor finish and, as such, were less robust.
As a public building, heavy footfall, mechanical issues and
WWII bomb damages inevitably caused major wear and
tear to the flooring over the centuries, leading to the loss
of colour and grip. To add yet another complication,
Thomas Minton & Sons, the renowned ceramics
company and official producer of the encaustic tiles,
ceased its production in the 1960s. This meant any tiles
manufactured for repairs after this date came from various
sources, which couldn’t match the originals. Therefore, a
more permanent solution was needed.
Lastly, previous temporary repairs were carried out using
coloured epoxy resins, which was visually unappealing. As
a result, some of the tiles had suffered so much damage
their inner core began to show.
Commenting on the process, Adrian Attwood, Executive
Director of DBR, says, “As it receives nearly a million
visitors per year, the Palace of Westminster require highquality restoration work which would involve replicating
the exact original design of the tiles and ensuring they
would remain intact for as long as possible.
Rising from the ashes, straight to the challenge
When DBR was commissioned by Strategic Estates to
undertake this monumental project, its heritage experts
realised just how extensive the replacement of tiles had
been over the decades.
“We also had to make sure we could conduct these repairs
over the years with minimal disruption to Parliament’s
numerous employees and visitors. To do this, we set up a
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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