Il Borro Tuscan Bistro

Location

London

Main contractor

BAH Projects

Sub contractor

Henley Group

Products

Cast Stone

Overview

BAH Projects have designed a restaurant front to match the impressive surrounding architecture of its Mayfair location. Il Borro Tuscan Bistro is a sophisticated cast stone re-clad on the sought-after Berkeley Street of London. The front utilises traditional Tuscan architectural influences of classic, plain columns. The front pilasters display the effectiveness of a simple design on a grand scale, whilst the white of the Portland cast stone situates it with continuity to its neighbouring buildings.

Sub-contractors, Henley Stone and Smart Crosby International Ltd worked with Taylor Maxwell and cast stone manufacturer Vobster Architectural to supply the wet cast stone components and optimise the use of the stone in an area with complex logistical considerations.

Concept

Il Borro Tuscan Bistro used cast stone supplied by Vobster Architectural as more durable alternative to natural stone. The façade was originally in bad condition, requiring a full re-clad. Cast stone offers a superior performance to quarried natural stone as its increased strength and reduced moisture absorption make it a sturdier material. A pilaster structure was chosen as in areas where space is limited, they provide a perfect alternative to columns by offering an impressive visual result whilst not overbearing the extent of the architectural design. As the site was located in central London, certain considerations were taken to ensure cohesion between the supply of the cast stone and the install. Structural engineers, Smart Crosby International Ltd, optimised the installation of the detailed design and multiple components.

“

This partnership made it easy to collaborate closely and ensure the new reconstituted Portland stone façade design, including restraint/support bracketry and fixings, interfaced with other trades in order to unfold smoothly and seamlessly once on site. The main challenge was to accommodate the projects’ varying tight cavity zones, working meticulously from existing building line surveys in conjunction with coordinating new secondary steelwork sub structure frame locations to fix the stone bracketry where necessary

”

John Dunthorne
Managing Director of SCI

Completion

The cast stone front integrates with the existing building, meeting planning requirements set out for the construction. The building resides in the Mayfair Conservation area, making Portland cast stone the perfect material to preserve the architectural continuity of the shop front, despite being inspired by Italian design. The stone allowed for quick installation due to the pilasters consisting of individual, manageable sized blocks of cast stone, ideal for the site’s location. Henley Stone once again expressed that they enjoyed working with Taylor Maxwell and Vobster Architectural to complete another high-quality project.

“

A great team effort on all individual elements made a tricky installation run smoothly. It seems every time Taylor Maxwell, Vobster, SCI and Henley Stone combine together, a quality project is always guaranteed. Looking forward to many more projects in the future.

”

Shaun Henley
Managing Director of Henley Stone