The Whittington Building

• Client: Knight Harwood
• Sector: Mixed-use scheme
• Services: Commercial Decorating
• Region: London
• Size: 36,000 sq. ft
• Project Value: £26 million

Project Overview

Sentinel was involved in work to bring a state-of-the-art standard of contemporary decoration to part of London dating back to Roman times.  

We were engaged by Knight Harwood to provide specialist decorating services to a new five-storey development that replaced two buildings owned by the Worshipful Company of Mercers.  

Among the Mercers’ properties on the east side of the city is the block where its livery hall stands – and where the company needed a new building to contain office space, as well as room for storage of its archives.  

For nearly a year up to April 2024, Sentinel used our extensive expertise as a specialist decorating contractor at the site.  

We were asked to spray intumescent paint to a decorative finish to all beams and columns throughout the new mixed-use structure, and to apply a topcoat. We also had the job of decorating all the walls, ceilings, doors and floors there.   

This was a challenging task that showcased why we are London’s favourite specialist decorating sub-contractor. We also had to draw on our skills and experience in passive fire protection when it came to the use of intumescent paint.  

Project Brief

The overall brief was to replace the two outdated existing buildings next to the Mercers’ livery hall with a modern development that fitted the historic environment while delivering high-quality office space and retail units within a new public colonnade. 

One building was redesigned by architect Stanton Williams as an office building, with an open-plan ceiling exposing all beams, decking and services. The other was assigned to contain the Mercers’ archive rooms across four floors.   

The new five-storey structure is known as the Whittington Building, in honour of one of the famous former members of the company.  

During the development of the site, sustainability was a high priority. All parties involved in the efforts to revitalise the location worked to the common goal of delivering facilities that were environmentally efficient.    

Challenges / Solution

 In the section of the new development that was dedicated to office space, Sentinel sprayed the beams with intumescent paint to a decorative finish, then applied a topcoat to both the beams and the metal decking.  

Intumescent paint is a fireproofing measure. When exposed to extreme heat it expands, forming a protective layer that adds considerably to the fire resistance of the metal and allowing a building’s inhabitants more time to escape.  

Our team of specialist decorators used single-leg spray equipment to apply the intumescent Sherwin-Williams FX6010. This is a highly durable coating that dries fast and provides a finish that is both aesthetically pleasing and fire resistant for up to two hours.  

We then painted the walls with Dulux Vinyl Matt RAL 9010, and used Dulux Diamond Satinwood RAL 7005 on the lobby doors, and RAL 7035 on the toilet doors.  

In the basement, which housed the plant rooms and the cycle store, the plant rooms were sealed with Keim Ecotec and the walls were painted with Dulux Vinyl Matt.  

All floors were coated with Coo-Var anti-slip light grey paint, while the corridor floors were coated with Watco Safety Coat RAL 7036. To coat the bike store, we used a combination of Watco Safety Coat RAL 7036 and RAL 3003. 

The walls in the part of the building designed to hold the Mercers’ Company’s archives were all concrete, and we were contracted to seal all walls to the perimeter. We used Keim Ecotec, a clear sealer that ensures no concrete dust will damage any of the historic archive material stored within.  

Interior walls here were coated with a Keim Ecosil, which acts in the same way but has a colour – which makes the rooms brighter. Floors here were coated with Watco Epoxy Matt to deliver a tough, durable finish.  

Walls and ceilings in the reception area were painted using Dulux Vinyl Matt RAL 9016, while the basement was coated with Dulux Vinyl Matt Welsh Flint.  

The Result

We were exceptionally proud that our commercial decorating team was able to achieve such a high-spec and seamless finish at this site. Spraying intumescent paint to a decorative finish is not easy; this is a heavy-duty paint. So, it’s clear our sprayers did an extremely good job. 

It’s also pleasing to be able to report that the building delivered handsomely on its intention to be as environmentally efficient as possible.  

The Whittington Building achieved a rating of Excellent on the BREEAM code, and an EPC A-rating. Performance against Part L Regulation targets – which measure energy usage and carbon emissions – has improved by 47 per cent, while fresh air ventilation is available throughout this all-electric structure.  

It was a privilege to contribute to the successful delivery of a thoroughly modern project in a location that can trace its history to the earliest days of the City of London.