The Octagon Hall – Buxton Pavilion Gardens

A recent project for ECS is the Octagon Hall in Buxton Pavilion Gardens. The restoration of this beautiful Grade II iconic building is almost complete following two years of painstaking restoration work. ECS were commissioned to design new Mechanical & Electrical services, incorporating natural stack ventilation & extensive audio visual systems. ECS were commisioned as part of High Peak Local Authority Framework.

The iconic building had to be closed to the public when remote camera surveys showed major potential safety issues in the roof, partly caused by poor quality repairs undertaken in the 1950s. A wide-ranging programme of works began, including significant structural repairs to the famous Octagon dome, replacement of the floor and the supporting sub-structure as well as upgrades to the mechanical and electrical plant at the complex.

Although there have been no further major faults discovered, detailed solutions to many of the known issues could not be fully determined until each area was exposed. Putting these into practice while respecting the integrity of the building’s listed status and best conservation practice proved challenging but ultimately rewarding.