The Gresham Hotel erases 90 years of grime form its iconic facade
P MAC Ltd
1C Greenmount Industrial Estate,
Greenmount Avenue,
Harold's Cross,
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pmac.ie
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05-Feb-2018Gresham Hotel undergoes a major spring clean. PMac appointed to erase 90 years of grime from the iconic Facade
05-Feb-2018The Gresham Hotel erases 90 years of grime form its iconic facade
01-Jun-2012Trion Graffiti Removers
Dublin - South
Dublin - South, Ireland, 05-Feb-2018 /PRzone.ie/- P MAC Ltd,
P Mac, in partnership with Thomann-Hanry UK, is appointed to erase 90 years of grime from the Gresham Hotel in Dublin
The Gresham Hotel holds a place of prominence on Upper O'Connell Street. Its architecture blends Art Deco and neo-classical stylings, however the hotel's stunning Portland stone facade has suffered a lifetime of grime and pollution – a result of its prime position on one of the city's busiest thoroughfares. P Mac, a Heritage Contractor, has been chosen in partnership with Thomann-Hanry® to turn the back clock on this iconic Dublin landmark.
The Gresham's eventful past marks it out as one of Dublin's most historically resonant buildings. Established in 1817, it survived the 1916 Easter Rising more or less intact, only to be destroyed by fire during the Civil War in 1922. Rising from the ashes in the 1920s, a new Gresham Hotel was opened on O'Connell Street.
The hotel was purchased by RIU Hotels & Resorts - the Spanish hotel chain - in early 2017. Their vision is to modernise the building throughout, but to do so sensitively and in a way which honours and celebrates its iconic local heritage. To this end, Dublin's leading stone cleaning and restoration specialist, P Mac, was appointed to carry out the cleaning and restoration works. P Mac has chosen to partner with Thomann-Hanry®, having previously worked with them on another project.
Correct cleaning the facade of the Gresham will help to conserve this building for generations to come. Thomann-Hanry®, based in London, has restored many of the UK's greatest architectural treasures, including The Ritz, the Bank of England and King's College, Cambridge… it's an impressive track record from industry-leading specialists who have also collaborated with Historic England on a number of high profile restoration projects.
The technique that will be employed on this project is known as façade gommage®. It is ideal for a busy, public-facing establishment such as the Gresham as it is the only technique which does not require the building to be shrouded in unsightly scaffolding for weeks or months. Working from a cabin on a lorry-mounted hydraulic boom, the highly skilled team are expected to clean the entire facade in under two weeks. This means:
•	less disruption to guests, staff and passers-by;
•	none of the security concerns of using scaffolding;
•	and stunning results achieved in an unbelievable timeframe.
Façade gommage® is perfectly suited to restoration projects such as the Gresham Hotel. Using the patented façade gommage® technique, Thomann-Hanry® will remove almost a century of dirt and grime from the hotel's facade by projecting ultra-fine powders under low pressure onto the facade. Unlike conventional wet or dry abrasion techniques - which blast dirt away with the inevitable potential for collateral damage, façade gommage® projects powder across the masonry, gently rubbing and erasing the overlaid layers of dirt to reveal the pristine stonework beneath, before being carried away and recycled.
About P Mac
Established in 1999, P Mac started off as a specialist stone floor restoration company, working mainly on marble floors. As the business grew, we extended our service offering to include the cleaning and restoration of all types of stone and concrete. P Mac has worked on many of Dublin's iconic buildings over the last 20 years, and as a registered Heritage Contractor, we adhere to a code of ethics that promotes preventive conservation and the notion of minimum intervention when working on historic buildings or other built heritage.
Peter MacNamara, Managing Director of P Mac, comments,
"As a proud Dubliner I am delighted to be involved in the cleaning and conservation of this landmark and much-loved building. The cleaning and restoration of the front facade using the façade gommage® technique will really showcase the hotel's magnificent presence on O'Connell Street and will have the added benefit of enhancing this designated Architectural Conservation area."
Further information about the Gresham Hotel:
Befitting its heritage as one of Ireland's largest and most prestigious hotels, the new Gresham was designed by Robert Atkinson. Famed for his Art Deco stylings - perhaps best exemplified by the interior of the Daily Express Building on London's Fleet Street -Atkinson's architecture fused contemporary 1920s design with neo-classical inflections, imbuing the re-born Gresham with a facade of striking elegance and grandeur. From the decorative elements, scrolls and beautiful carvings to the elegantly arched double height windows at street level, the Gresham Hotel is today cherished as one of Dublin's most culturally and historically significant landmarks, poised at the heart of a designated Architectural Conservation area.
Pleae contact Peter at 086 251 2103 with any queries
About P MAC Ltd
P.MAC LTD is the expert stone floor cleaning, restoration, refinishing, and maintenance company with a reputation for professionalism and quality of finish. Our specialist skills, exclusive techniques, and products help clean, revive, maintain and protect the colour, tone and natural beauty of stone.
P.MAC LTD has extensive experience and knowledge in the area of stone floor cleaning, restoration, sealing and maintenance. Our trained experienced staff assess and evaluate the requirements and demands of each project. Our expertise dictates the optimum strategy and environmentally friendly materials for each separate job. Our skilled workforce use the best methods required by the type of stone, the nature of the surroundings and environment, the degree of damage or soiling, to achieve best results and the finest quality of finish. Close consultation with our clients ensures customer satisfaction, as well as best practice future maintenance, protection and preservation.
As a registered Heritage Contractor, P.MAC LTD combine the best of traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques and materials to accomplish an excellent finish, as well as the best possible protection for the future.
We also provide graffiti and gum removal service and façade cleaning to compliment our core services above.
The use of our Graffiti Removal System, involves using a custom built steam pack which uses a combination of low pressure and high temperatures ensure no 'splash back,' guaranteeing safety of employees and pedestrians.
P.MAC LTD carries a full range of chemicals and anti graffiti systems .We are a Heritage Contractor, which was awarded to us because of the nature with which we clean and care for the surfaces we work on, and the surrounding environment. We can use poultices on surfaces where the graffiti has penetrated deeply into the pores of the stone. This method is regularly used when working on older or protected surfaces.
Our Chewing Gum Removal Unit specialises in ridding our streets of this modern unsightly nuisance. P.MAC LTD has a number of years experience working with a number of County Councils, Local Authorities, and property managers in an effort to combat this problem.
Using modern techniques, high temperature mist at low pressure, (to avoid surface damage) our 'Gum-Removal Unit' offers our clients an affordable, viable and efficient service, in the battle against discarded chewing gum. Our experience and efforts have resulted in dramatic improvements in the visual appearance of a number of streets around the country.
P.MAC LTD, with this experience, has acted as a consultant in the area of chewing gum removal to a number of Local Authorities throughout Ireland.
Strongly committed to keeping up with the development of new products and techniques, we aim to provide the best possible solutions in regard to stone maintenance and protection.
Paul Gilshinan
www.pmac.ie