Crick Smith

Within each significant historic interior a full architectural paint research exercise (including archival research) was conducted followed by a programme of informed on-site uncovering. Before the main contractor arrived on site Crick Smith conducted a full photographic survey of all historic features in the building and a spectrophotometer was used to quantify and define accurate NCS historic colour references for the seven significant areas to allow for the authentic reproduction of colours during redecoration. During this process a number of examples of historic wallpapers were uncovered and rescued from the site, which are now held in the Crick Smith historic wallpaper archive at the University of Lincoln.

During the summer of 2007 a devastating fire ripped through the entrance hall of St. Pancras Chambers, during restoration works to the building. Prior to the fire the entrance hall was decorated with a plain ceiling overlying an earlier ornate stencilled design. An elaborate painted frieze still decorated the walls extending approximately two metres down from the ceiling cornice, with the plaster cornice and ceiling roses ornately painted and partly gilded.

As a result of the fire this area had incurred extensive heat and smoke damage, leaving the ceiling and walls in an extremely deteriorated and blackened state. All the painted surfaces were covered in a thick layer of soot deposits, with many areas left blistered by the heat.