John Desmond Ltd

An in-depth look at the design ethos and specialist metal finishes used in the refurbishment of the stairs and escalators in this historic and world-famous London shopping destination and landmark building.An Art Deco Palette using PVD stainless steelRegine Kandan, of Make Architects, told us “I heard about PVD stainless steel as it is being specified for another project of ours in Sydney, Australia. We are designing the upgrade of the railway concourse there at Wynyard Station, 1 Carrington Street.PVD had the qualities we needed and was of the upmarket feel and the precious look that we wanted. Fundamentally we needed a finish that conveyed some of the special “upmarket store bling” and, in our opinion, PVD does just that! The colour options of the PVD were great for us. We were working from old black and white photos so we had to be imaginative about the exact finish colours but we knew the palette had to reflect a sense of the Art Deco. We used two types of stone, a white marble and a black marble which had a gold, caramel vein with which the Almond Gold PVD harmonised perfectly.We specified Almond Gold and that was the catalyst for the other colours which we built up around it. We also specified Almond Gold for the lift doors, which is a warm gold with great reflectivity and has created a very luxurious feel.” Black is Black PVD was used for the balustrading handrail.Mirror polish almond gold PVD was used for entrance portals doors to give a welcoming and luxurious feel.

How the interior designers created modern-day glamour for an exclusive private members club using a specialist metal finish that keeps its original, gleaming appearance.Turning a warehouse into a Boutique HotelHarriet Liley, Senior Interior Designer at March and White, was the lead designer – March and White were the interior designers on this project. Harriet told us “Our client knew he wanted a mid-century feel and that this club was not to be centred around the idea of male members but jet-setting business women” Harriet says. “We had our Muse who was a persona we created around the image of a woman in a private jet – every design decision we made we checked first that it would be at one with our Muse’s lifestyle and preferences. Every colour, every pattern, every chair – they all went through this filtering process”.Finding a non-tarnishing brass and bronze material“With the metalwork, originally we had specified brass and bronze however we were not satisfied with the fact that these would develop a patina over time. That aged look was very much akin to the traditional male members clubs and we were seeking a fresh angle on this tradition. But obviously we wanted to retain absolutely the sense of richness and quality so were not going to give that up. We were then introduced to PVD coloured stainless steel by the main contractor, ISG, and there were a few qualities that immediately suited our design very well. The cost was lower than that of using brass and bronze, the durability was an attraction and certainly the aesthetic as it would not tarnish so would retain the glamour and gloss we wanted. The practicality and durability was crucially important as we were using this material for bartops. To be able to retain the polished shine was going to really help us create the glamorous and elegant look we wanted to achieve.”

An inside perspective on the creation of moody, contemporary elevators and lobby and how the luxurious bronze finish was created using stainless steel.Value-engineering from Bronze to PVD stainless steelBrett Dhillon was project manager at the engineering company responsible for the design and installation of the elevators.Brett tells us “We were-subcontractors to Otis and our remit was to create and install the lift interiors, architrave and reveals. To achieve this we were given the lift shell design and returned the designs for the interiors. Obviously we had cost objectives to meet so we looked closely at the materials that had been specified.”Changing the specificationThe COP – that is our term for the Cabin Operating Panel – is solid 10mm thick F90C brass copper patinated to a bronze finish which costs £1000 per sheet. Originally all of the architraves and trims were specified from the same material and as this was both heavy and expensive I submitted samples to the architects of the PVD coloured stainless steel which has the same rich bronze finish.This was more durable, cheaper, light-weight and easier to install and also to manufacture. Otis and the architects, Johnson Naylor were happy with the PVD material so we proceeded with the fabrication and as you can see it looks very striking. The architraves look and feel like solid material. The way that this was achieved was using the V-grooving process – which scores the stainless steel which is then able to be sharply folded- which gives a crisp finish as opposed to giving a radius on the bend. For this project we had quite slim architraves and trims so we would not have been able to achieve this rectilinear look any other way apart from using solid bar. As you can see the trims and architrave look completely solid and the colouring is a perfect complement to the Wenge panels.Working relationshipThe benefits of working with John Desmond was the very fast turnaround. For example when an architrave was made incorrectly as a result of a false survey the correct piece of architrave was made within four days which is exceptional.

Looking at how the material design developed for the landscaping project adjacent to the new American Embassy in Nine Elms, Wandsworth, London with its inspiration taken from the High Line Park in New York, USA.Bronze PVD stainless steel plantersAnthony Thompson is the Managing Director of In-Ex Landscapes who were appointed by the landscape architects, Camlins. In-Ex Landscapes constructed the connecting paved spaces from New Union Square through to the Linear Park which included the specification and installation of the planters.Anthony says “We wanted to complement the green planting and the coloration of the buildings which include ochres and golds and the pavement which is a natural pea gravel. The colours were tending towards autumn colours in browns, golds and yellows so we knew we wanted a bronze colour for the planters. The original specification was for powder coated steel but we discounted this option as it damaged too easily – it could be scratched by people passing by or during maintenance especially being at a low level. Our role is always to Value-Engineer and advise so we looked at various options for the planters.We put forward coloured stainless steel as a product being no different in price to powder coating but being far superior in aesthetic and quality. The design detail was a big challenge for us on this project as the ground work varied from the drawings which meant we could not fabricate as originally planned. In the end we made fifty prototypes of corner sections from timber and these were exactly copied by John Desmond Ltd”.

Creating echoes of quality and craftsmanship from the Art Deco era using intricately designed metalwork for the stairway, elevator and core rising through this landmark Edwardian building.The design and its challengesKaterina Dionysopoulou is director at bureau de change design office ltd who designed the building core, lift and stairway.Katerina talks to us about the architectural aspects of the design." The design consists of two layers of mesh – 2D and 3D – the one beneath is flat and the folded one sits in front. So the impression is that you are looking at a complete mesh structure – the reality is that there is concrete behind, which we had painted a dark grey so that the eye cannot pick up its presence. The mesh was wrapped around the core on the ground floor so that you can see it as you walk down the street then it peels off under the stairs and the rest of the core is the flat mesh. It has an ambitious sculptural element but of course had to be within the budget.” Read more https://www.johndesmond.com/case-studies/the-gaslight-building-29-35-rathbone-street-london-w1-echoing-the-art-deco-period-through-quality-and-craftsmanship-in-bronze/

Sculptural copper-clad rooftop extension

A look at how the architects used textured specialist metal finishes for a clever entrance redesign creating new status, and rent value, for a dated office building.

How to exude luxuriousness using specialist metal finishes whilst simultaneously creating a bomb-proof installation. Behind the scenes on how an undulating gold wavy wall came to make its appearance in the relatively beige Terminal 5, Heathrow, London.

Delicate PVD coloured stainless steel balustrading for historic Royal ExchangeThe courtyard stairs were designed to enhance access for visitors to the mezzanine level as it houses the Exchange’s historic murals and entice people up to view them.The stairs are intended as a sculptural connection between the ground floor and the upper level, the stone being tonally of the existing building coloration and the elegant balustrade and handrail a continuation of the creamy gold palette.The gently toning Almond Gold PVD coloured stainless steel harmonises with the stone coloration creating a light, airy and enticing staircase.Crucially, the looks of the staircase are easily maintained as fingerprints and other marks are removed by wiping the PVD stainless steel with a damp cloth.

The design development of a central, unifying sweeping helical staircase in sumptuous, but subtle, Almond Gold PVD coloured stainless steel for 54 Bedford Gardens, London.

Elevator door skins and surround are in Nickel Brush PVD coloured stainless steel providing a very subtle counterpoint to the wall panelling in ecru reeded cladding.

Using Edwardian inspirations to create super-contemporary WCs with a palette of white, bronze and copper with all fixtures pre-modelled and put together on-site to a tight timescale.

A stainless steel memorial to the flax industryThe blue flax flower, Linum usitatissimum,  was once a familiar sight across Ireland during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a sight that was part of the country’s long association with linen production. Bessbrook in County Armagh played a central role in this heritage: its mill processed flax into the strong, fine fibres that were used to create the renowned Irish linen.The Camlough River was harnessed at Bessbrook Pond to power the mill machinery that transformed raw flax into the fibres from which linen fabric was made. Sculptor, Alan Burke, was commissioned to create a sculpture celebrating the history of the River Camlough and its connection with the flax trade. The sculpture, named Still Pond, is a six-metre-high stainless steel sculpture with a sweeping, curved stem embossed with a pattern inspired by woven linen.The flower itself is formed from Mirror-finish PVD stainless steel in Cobalt Blue, with both sides of the stainless steel sheet having the PVD finish applied. This enabled Alan to create the flower head with the richly coloured and reflective surface on the interior and exterior of the petals.