17/07/2023
What a transformation! Building on from our highly successful transformation of Margate Railway Station's Booking Hall, we were invited back to undertake the same to the station's buffet.
We successfully handed-back our project today to design and then conservationally refurbish the buffet. As you can see in photo 3, the area was dimly lit, had an old suspended ceiling blocking all the natural light, and required re-wiring. We've removed the suspended ceiling to reveal all the original fibrous plaster details (which we have carefully repaired in situ), re-plastered the walls with NH Lime, patch repaired the sections of missing panelling, installed new Art-Deco styled LED lights to match those at Dreamland, installed new energy efficient heating, installed a new faux 1970s external door (from research we found the original door was installed in 1973), signwriting by hand, and redecorated throughout to the original 1920s colours. Props from the Sam Mendes' movie Empire of Light (partly filmed in our newly refurbished booking hall) will soon be displayed within the new buffet!
The project also included us working within a tight operational window to have the area back up and running for the busy summer holidays. We also helped the client gain historic building grant monies to help cover a large proposition of our work from our detailed designs.
We have effectively returned this buffet to how it would have looked in the 1920s through extensive research, design, and hard work. If you are having a day out this summer at Margate we HIGHLY recommend you come and have a Mr Whippy here!