Case Study: Classical Composite Order Column Restoration at Former Cinema Built in 1920s

Case Study Data

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Site
1920s neoclassical former cinema
Location
Portsmouth
Repair Type
Concrete restoration
Defect
Heavily damaged classical composite order column capitals

Products Used

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Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty Stick
Super-strength epoxy putty which bonds to all materials and can be easily carved and shaped to hold intricate details

Case Study PDF

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Case Study Details

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Renowned local Portsmouth architect Arthur Edward Cogswell designed the building in neoclassic style. It opened in 1921 as a cinema and remained in use as a picture house through several names changes for 52 years, until 1973.

It reopened as a snooker hall in 1976 and played host to budding local Stephen Hendrys and Ronnie O’Sullivans until the 2000s. More recent uses included a martial arts centre, a lounge bar, a short-lived return to snooker and darts, and a karaoke bar.

The uncertainty over what to do with the inside of the building over the past 20 years was reflected by a lack of maintenance and care for the outside.

By the time the karaoke bar heard its final song, the facade had become an untidy mess of different coloured paints peeling away, damaged concrete and broken windows.

An ambitious project was launched to renovate the building for community use. This included restoring the dilapidated facade as close to its original 1920s state as possible.

The most challenging part of the refurbishment was repairing the tops of four composite order columns – known as capitals – which were in a sorry state. Faded red and blue paint was flaking off. Much of the intricate carved detail had crumbled away and been lost.

With its super strength, long work time and ability to hold shape after being carved, Sylmasta AB Original Epoxy Putty proved the ideal repair material to restore the columns.

The columns were first thoroughly cleaned, including using a blowtorch to burn off any remains of old paint. AB Original was then mixed by hand, after which the installers had around two hours to carve the putty into the original style of A.E. Cogswell and apply it to the column before it set.

Because AB Original sets harder than other epoxy putties, it easily held the highly intricate detail needed to match a classic composite order column. Each sculpted piece of AB Original adhered directly to the concrete, forming a permanent bond.

All four columns were repaired in this way before the entire facade was painted a dignified white. The end result was a seamless restoration of each column. AB Original was so effective, it left no trace that a significant repair and rebuild had taken place.

If A.E. Cogswell came back to life and visited his cinema, even he would have struggled to tell the detailing on the columns was not the original work.

The entire renovation project took around 12 months to complete and included modernising the inside of the building. It now serves the local community, looking almost identical from the outside as it did when first opened as a cinema a century ago.