BAFTA wanted to increase the space inside its listed building, most strikingly by creating a new top floor. The architect devised an ambitious plan to physically raise two large Victorian roof light spaces covered in decorative plasterwork that had been covered up for more than 40 years, creating a huge new fourth floor and revealing the hidden roof lights for the first time since 1975.

The historic decorative plasterwork was raised three metres and enclosed with innovative, high-performance, ‘smart’ reactive liquid-crystal glazing, a UK first. It was our job to remove, restore and refurbish the fibrous plasterwork in the roof lights.

The decorative plasterwork was in various states of disrepair and decay, with water damage, mould and crumbling material causing problems. We took moulds of detailing on the roof lights, removing original decorative plaster to take back to our workshop and examine as well as repairing Victorian plaster coving. We tried to preserve as much of the fabric as possible, while recreating sections and integrating to blend seamlessly together. The smallest element was meticulously labelled and marked on a plan to make sure everything could be replaced on the iron framework and raised into its original position.