Andy Thornton restoration project a huge success

By: Andy Thornton Ltd  14/12/2011
Keywords: public houses, interior design, salvage

York Tap, at York Railway Station, is proving an instant hit since opening its newly installed antique revolving doorway, following a major refurbishment and restoration project carried out by design and build interior fit-out contractor Andy Thornton Ltd. The 'Craft Beer House', which boasts an impressive selection of 32 draft beers and 20 cask ales, breathes new life into, what had become, a dilapidated Grade ll listed building by the station entrance.

The eagerly anticipated opening of the new traditional pub on the site of the former Edwardian tearoom presented the perfect opportunity for Andy Thornton to combine quality new bar fixtures and fittings with the existing original architectural features. This was helped by the discovery of old photographs showing how the tearoom originally looked.

Pivovar Ltd, owners of York Tap, commissioned Andy Thornton to bring the building back to life, restoring original features when possible and replicating them when not. This project follows successful interior refurbishments the company has undertaken for the clients at their other venues Sheffield Tap and Euston Tap, the former winning many accolades and awards for its restoration of another Edwardian railway building.

The buildings key internal features including cast iron columns, iron fretwork, fireplace surrounds, a stained glass dome and windows were all sympathetically restored. A superb original terrazzo floor, hidden for years under a later floor covering, was unearthed, and restored to its former glory.

Andy Thornton supplemented these by manufacturing a new stained glass ceiling dome and windows to match the existing ones and adding doors with arched pediments to compliment the building's architectural features. Even the pub’s entrance, featuring an old revolving doorway sourced and then adapted by Andy Thornton to meet strict fire regulations, was selected due to its similarity to the buildings original entrance.

We also designed, manufactured and installed a period-style island bar counter and back-fitting after the client specified the position to create two separate but connected areas.

This posed a challenge as the building has four existing structural columns that we had to install the counter around. The counter comprises of a panelled front with fluted columns, a solid bar top, brass foot rail and customised post lights. The back fitting includes an arched pediment with two clocks, turned columns with glass shelving and a partition wall clad in panelling to house the beer pythons.

Andy Thornton also manufactured and installed bespoke banquette seating booths with button-back upholstery in the window bays and supplied bentwood chairs and bar stools, tables and the brasserie-style brass pendants.

The finishing touch is the old photographs that now hang proudly in the bar – a reminder of the buildings heritage and the success of its restoration.