CWO are celebrating after being presented with the prestigious Repair & Restoration Award at the Natural Stone Awards 2008, which took place at the iconic Lords Cricket Ground in London on Friday 21st November 2008.
The award was presented in recognition of three consecutive phases of conservation and restoration works at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle, including the Bray Chantry, South Aisle and West Front, for which CWO was the Main Contractor and Principal Stone Contractor. The project demanded the most careful conservation techniques undertaken by highly skilled craftspeople.
The judges commented: “The research, choice of materials and workmanship are exemplars, all highly appropriate for the Chapel of the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world and the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen. It sets the standards.”
Owners, the Dean & Canons of Windsor, were assisted in the role of Project Manager by Graham Sharpe of the Royal Household Property Section, working closely with Martin Ashley of Martin Ashley Architect’s.
The Natural Stone Awards are presented by the Stone Federation of Great Britain, the official trade association for the natural stone industry. The awards celebrate the use of stone and a commitment to excellence, both in the design and the execution of the design. They demonstrate that the skills of the mason are as finely honed today as ever they were, but are now complemented by sophisticated computer-controlled machinery enabling the modern stone industry to meet the exacting requirements of the modern construction industry, and the innovative designs of the most imaginative architects of our time.
CWO was also commended in the interiors category for a new cantilevered stone staircase, built for a private residence in Surrey. The judges commented: “The staircase demonstrates how stone can provide, structurally, a stunning design when the engineer understands the materials. The result is a complex form that is pleasing to the eye.”
