Norton Folgate

• Client: Skanska
• Sector: Commercial
• Services: Firestopping & Commercial Decorating
• Region: Spitalfields, London
• Size: 347,000 sq. ft
• Project Value: £180 million

Project Overview

Sentinel contributed commercial decorating and firestopping to regenerate the historic Norton Folgate area of Spitalfields, just to the east of the City of London.  

This was a high-profile, challenging enterprise that aimed to add new construction elements to the area while fully respecting its immense history and unique ambience. 

Sentinel was invited by Skanska, the main contractor that developed the site on behalf of its client British Land, to carry out all decorating works and intumescent painting – a form of firestopping – throughout the £180 million development, which comprised 12 buildings.  

Once completed, the new Norton Folgate development comprised a total of 347,000 square feet, including office space, 13 retail units and 40 apartments. There are also two new areas of public space.  

The mixed-use scheme, drawn up by architects AHMM, involved a combination of redevelopment and the restoration of existing buildings, all within the Elder Street Conservation Area.  

Norton Folgate is a short road connecting Bishopsgate with Shoreditch High Street. This is the A10, which follows the course of the Roman road called Ermine Street, which runs from London to York. The buildings we worked on sit between that main road and Blossom Street to the rear.  

The plan for the site took a building-by-building approach as it sought to bring vacant or underused properties back into use while respecting the mixed character of the area. This involved restoration, refurbishment and extension of existing buildings while adding new constructions that fitted seamlessly into their surroundings.

Project Brief

Our specialist decorators worked to deliver new and restored buildings that were in tune with the modern sensibilities of a bustling area close to the City of London, while preserving the historic nature and fabric of the existing structures in Norton Folgate.  

In years gone by, there had been protests against any form of development of Norton Folgate. In this instance, all parties involved in the project were fully on board with the need to integrate new buildings sympathetically and restore existing ones carefully and expertly to the satisfaction of interested locals.    

As a result, several modern methods of construction were used across the project. These included using prefabricated parts for facades, framing and services – which cut installation time by 50 per cent. Another benefit was that less carbon was produced by the project because the need for multiple brick deliveries had been eliminated.  

High-performance fibre-reinforced concrete was used instead of traditional concrete for cladding panels. That made the panels thinner, which increased the internal floor area across the development by 40 square metres.  

Challenges / Solution

The main challenge for Sentinel was that the site contained a mix of old listed buildings and new modern structures. As a specialist decorating contractor with extensive expertise, it was a challenge we were perfectly suited to meet.  

We set out from the start to achieve a high-quality finish on old surfaces that made them look as good as new.   

As well as being London’s favourite specialist decorating sub-contractor, we are also renowned for our fire protection work. In this context, it involved the use of intumescent paint. This is a specialist protective coating that offers fire protection for structural steel. At high temperatures, the intumescent coating expands to form a protective insulating layer on the surface of the steel.  

That means the steel structure is protected in the event of a fire, which gives people within the building time to escape and enables the fire to be brought under control.  

We use built-in fire protection solutions from the industry’s leading practitioners. In this instance, the products supplied by Sprayzone offer fire protection for up to 120 minutes, which is a high level of performance.  

Some of the buildings on the site date back to the late 1800s. Preserving these old structures was a key element in the successful delivery of this project. This involved, for instance, supporting Victorian chimneys while demolishing or renovating the buildings below them. And some of the fireproofing installations between floors of those existing buildings proved to be a tricky and time-consuming job.  

Sentinel is proud to have played a part in this commitment to deliver modern construction standards and finishes while preserving the cultural heritage of a part of the city that dates to Roman times.

The Result

There are many reasons why Sentinel is the UK’s preferred specialist decorating contractor. They include our commercial decorating and fire protection expertise, the experience in our teams of specialist decorators, and our willingness to collaborate with the many other parties who work to bring complex projects like this to fruition.  

Our on-site teams carried out benchmark applications that were approved by our client, Skanska. As a result, we were able to deliver a consistent finish across all the areas we worked on. 

As Skanska project director Graham Mercer said: “We are working across five or six plots all at the same time, all with their own rhythm and details. The whole co-ordination piece was the biggest challenge.” 

We are delighted to report that our team really stepped up to the mark and were able to deliver a high-quality finish throughout. Both new and restored areas of this multi-use development were completed to an outstanding standard.