Guildhall - Great Hall Roof H&S Works

About the Project
The proposed works are comprised of high-level repairs to the Great Hall roof, to include:
• Refurbishment of the central lantern and fleche
• Isolated repairs on the Collyweston stone slate roof
• Repairs and improvements to rainwater discharge
• High-level masonry repairs and cleaning, to include clerestories, parapets, turrets, pinnacles and tracery
• turrets, pinnacles and tracery
• Re-bedding of gable copings with improved details
• Installation of a new weathervane on the fleche
The Great Hall and the wider Guildhall complex will remain operational throughout the works. The contractor’s compound will be located on the large, paved area immediately north of the Old Library.
The Great Hall is enclosed by ambulatories on all sides, which prevents the use of full-height, ground-supported scaffolding. Consequently, scaffolding to the north and south elevations will need to be cradled from parapet level, while access to the east and west gables will require bridging over the ambulatories and bearing onto adjacent structures. An indicative scaffolding design and methodology have been developed and will be included within the tender documentation.
The Contractor is anticipated to take possession of the site in early October 2026. Works to the lantern and south elevation of the Great Hall must be completed no later than late October 2027, in advance of the annual Lord Mayor’s Show.
About the Great Hall
London’s Guildhall has been at the heart of the City’s government for centuries. The
site has been a centre of civic administration since at least the 12th century, although
there is evidence that a guildhall or meeting place has existed on the site as early as
the Saxon period. It was built on the site of a Roman amphitheatre which dates to 70
AD, the remains of which were rediscovered in 1987, during the construction of the
adjacent art gallery, and are on public display in the gallery’s purpose-built basement
display.
The medieval Guildhall was...