As a city steeped in history, London has some truly inspiring architecture, from the majesty of Admiralty Arch to Nelson's Column, which attracts thousands of visitors every month. With the capital hosting the 2012 Olympic Games this summer, many of London’s iconic buildings have undergone important cleaning and restoration work to ensure that when the world is watching, London shines.
 
The Ritz Hotel, The Adelphi and Charing Cross Station are among several buildings which have invested in their presentation – but there are glaring omissions. In spite of the tough financial climate, private businesses appear to understand the importance of making a good impression, but many government owned properties look tired and ravaged by the pollution that the city works tirelessly to reduce.
 
If London is truly committed to making this a "summer to remember" (Boris Johnson), then more needs to be done to improve our image above street level. Tourists have a tendency to look upwards at impressive central London buildings, in contrast to those who live and work here – so the need for restoration may often go unnoticed. Many of the historic buildings in the West End are filthy, with beautiful Portland stone exteriors cloaked in layers of pollution, grime and graffiti, masking the intricate Edwardian and Victorian craftsmanship.
 
Leading the campaign to fulfill London’s potential are British company Thomann-Hanry, experts in the cleaning and restoration of historic and important buildings. They operate a unique 'façade gommage' cleaning system that is extremely fast, operates with little impact on the normal use of the building and is non-abrasive – vital for irreplaceable stonework.
 
Managing director Mark Styles is extremely excited about the Games coming to London but worries that "if we do not portray the right image, then we waste a huge opportunity to reaffirm London as one of the most culturally important cities in the world".

Contact Name:

Alan Gayle

Role:

Director

Company:

Gayle Associates Ltd

Contact Email:

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Contact Phone:

02086805275