The Problem

Inspired by the ingenuity of Victorian engineers, we were commissioned to recreate a series of ornate window canopies using a single, badly corroded surviving example as our reference.

From this original canopy, we produced detailed drawings and templates, working closely with heritage specialists from Shepway and Hythe District Council. Due to the architectural and historic importance of the project, the new canopies had to be exact replicas of the originals. In addition to the first canopy, we went on to manufacture a further five for the Grand Canaria Hotel in Folkestone.

One of the main challenges was reproducing the zinc decorative capping tubes. As zinc tube is no longer commercially available, we manufactured our own from flat zinc sheet, carefully rolling, seaming, and hand-forming each tube to match the original profile.

What We Did

The Grand Canaria Hotel dates from the late 19th century and stands on Marine Parade, close to the former Victoria Pier. Originally known as the Corner House Boarding Residence, it is now a Grade II listed building subject to strict conservation guidelines.

These guidelines favour repair over replacement wherever possible. However, the only remaining original canopy was beyond repair, and the others had previously been replaced with fibreglass. As a result, the owner commissioned us to remanufacture all the canopies, restoring the building’s historic character with accurate, traditionally fabricated replacements.