Abstract

The refurbishment of the grade I listed Buxton Crescent exemplifies the balance between preserving the historic integrity of a building, and safeguarding its future by ensuring a viable long-term use. The nineteenth-century Cordelova ceiling paper tiles in the Blue Room were in a poor condition; the surface paint was severally flaking, the underlying lath and plaster ceiling required major intervention to be stabilised, and a large percentage of the tiles had been lost. Furthermore, the client had specified that replacement tiles, which were originally manufactured using large-scale steel rollers, must be made with traditional materials. This presented three challenges common in built heritage: saving an applied finish on an unstable substrate; combining traditional and modern manufacturing techniques; and ensuring that historic fabric is suitable for modern use. The paper tiles were 3-D scanned, digitally cleaned, and prepared to create a physical mould. A method was then developed to recreate the tiles using traditional materials, which would be lightweight and flexible enough to apply to the original ceiling. This paper argues how potentially conflicting concepts of traditional and digital conservation, on- and off-site work, and original and new finishes can not only be combined, but in fact complement each other to overcome common challenges in built heritage successfully.