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Cavalry & Guards Club
Survey and Restoration of Lanterns
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In the heart of central London, Cavalry and Guards Club stood as it long had, formal, assured, and quietly imposing. As a Grade II* listed building, it carried the architectural confidence of its age, its interiors shaped for ceremony as much as for daily use. Among its most striking features was the domed lantern rising above the grand stairwell, a focal point of light, structure, and ornament.
When conservation became necessary, the challenge was clear: restore the building’s fabric without interrupting the life that continued within it.
Client
Cavalry & Guards Club
Dates
Until 2026
Location
London
Grade listing
Grade II*
Fabric
Lead
Designing Access Without Disturbance
The works demanded more than standard solutions. Sensitive access was required, systems that would allow detailed internal restoration while preserving historic character and ensuring the club remained fully operational throughout.
To meet this challenge, DBR appointed Alltask to design and deliver a bespoke scaffolding solution. What followed was a carefully engineered response, tailored precisely to the building rather than imposed upon it.
Building a Way In
Internally, a birdcage scaffold was constructed across the grand stairwell. Rising to ceiling level, it provided safe and comprehensive access to the dome’s plasterwork and decorative finishes. From below, conservators could examine, repair, and restore with confidence, supported by a structure that respected both the scale and delicacy of the space.
Above, a different solution took shape. Externally, a temporary roof was installed over the ornate domed lantern, shielding it from weather and preventing water ingress while restoration works progressed. Beneath the lantern, hanging scaffold platforms were suspended, allowing detailed inspection and repair from within the dome itself.
Together, these systems created access from both directions, above and below, meeting at the lantern’s apex.
Engineering Lightness and Strength
Structural constraints required careful thought. To reduce load while maintaining strength, aluminium components and composite decking were employed throughout the scaffold design. This lightweight approach ensured durability without compromising the building’s fabric or safety.
The combined use of hanging platforms and the external roof structure allowed teams to reach the most challenging areas safely, enabling a level of access rarely possible within such a confined and ornate space.
Learning Before Repairing
The scaffold did more than provide access, it allowed understanding. From these platforms, DBR carried out visual and intrusive investigations that informed the repair strategy itself. Under a Design and Build brief, DBR worked closely with a conservation architect and structural engineer to manage planning submissions and building regulation approvals, ensuring every intervention was justified, appropriate, and approved.
All works took place within a live environment. Extensive protection was installed to safeguard both occupants and historic surfaces, allowing the club’s daily rhythm to continue uninterrupted.
Precision, Quietly Achieved
Throughout the project, the works proceeded without incident. No safety breaches, no near misses, just steady progress guided by planning, coordination, and care. The scaffold system performed exactly as intended, reflecting Alltask’s commitment to precision and safety in complex historic settings.
The scaffolding soon faded into the background, serving purely as a quiet enabler—supporting conservation, access, and repair without intrusion. At the Cavalry and Guards Club, heritage stayed alive and present, carefully upheld while its most fragile features were secured for the future.
