Please fill in the form below and we will get back to you.
Alternatively email us at info@dbrlimited.com or for urgent enquiries call us on 020 7277 7775.
RICS
Stained Glass Window Cleaning
1 / 3
As part of the ongoing care of the historic RICS Headquarters, DBR Conservation turned its attention to one of the building’s most expressive features: its stained glass windows. Long admired for the way they shaped light within the interiors, these windows were not merely decorative. They were part of the building’s architectural language, colour, craft, and symbolism held in delicate balance.
Time, however, had softened their brilliance. Dust gathered quietly, residues dulled surfaces, and the clarity of the glass slowly faded. Preservation required not intervention, but attentiveness.
Client
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics)
Dates
Until 2025
Location
London
Grade listing
Grade II
Fabric
Lead
Beginning at the Frame
Work commenced not with the glass itself, but with what held it in place. Surrounding timber frames were carefully cleared of dust and loose debris, ensuring that no abrasive particles would interfere with the cleaning that followed. Once freed of surface dirt, the wood was gently wiped with clean water, enough to refresh, never enough to risk disturbance to the historic material.
This careful preparation set the tone for everything that followed.
Lifting What Time Had Left Behind
For the stained glass panes, DBR adopted a dual-method approach designed to respect both fragility and age. Steam-cleaning was first employed to lift ingrained dirt from the surface, its heat and moisture working gently, without introducing harsh chemicals that could compromise the glass or its leadwork.
Where further attention was required, a carefully balanced solution of isopropyl alcohol and water, mixed at a precise 50:50 ratio, was applied. Natural and plastic soft-bristle brushes, alongside cotton wool, were used to guide the process, tools chosen not for speed, but for sensitivity. Each pane was treated individually, its surface cleaned with an understanding of the craftsmanship beneath.
Restoring the Clarity of Light
Once cleaned, the glass was polished using microfibre cloths, revealing a renewed sharpness of colour and detail. As the final residues were lifted away, the windows regained their ability to catch, filter, and animate light, doing once more what they had always been intended to do.
Care Without Disturbance
The work was quiet, methodical, and deliberate. No element was rushed, no surface overstressed. In restoring the visual brilliance of the stained glass, DBR also ensured its continued longevity, protecting not just appearance, but substance.
At the RICS building, the result was subtle yet profound. Light returned clearer, colours spoke again, and a defining feature of the building was preserved, not reinvented, but respectfully maintained for the years ahead.
