The Grand Hotel is an iconic grade II listed hotel in the centre of Birmingham. The hotel had been closed for 20 years and fell into a state of dilapidation and disrepair. As part of a £50 million refurbishment Michael Nugent (a leading mechanical and electrical service provider based in Northern Ireland) appointed Fritz Fryer Lighting to undertake the removal and restoration of a large collection of important period luminaires.

Following a comprehensive luminaire schedule, complete with photographs supplied by the electrical contractor, a site visit was organised. During this site visit the full scale of this amazing project became apparent. It was immediately apparent that the vast luminaires, in the magnificent Louis XIV-style grand ballroom, would need to be worked on in situ. The matching wall lanterns and smaller plafonniers could be removed for restoration in our workshops in Ross-on-Wye.

The restoration work included new glass panels to replace missing/damaged ones, the cleaning and repair of gilt metal work, fabrication and installation of new gear trays and the removal of all old electrical components. We worked closely with the electrical contractor and design team to agree on colour temperature, lumen level, source of illumination, emergency kits with health indicators, Dali dimmable drivers and future serviceability.

As is per usual with projects such as this we were required to provide RAMs, ensure we had the correct PPE and site safety certificates.

This was a fantastic project for Fritz Fryer Lighting, utilising our talented restoration time and designers.

The Grand Hotel is a triumph to all the investors, companies and talented individuals involved. This important historical building will be enjoyed for many years to come.

Michael Nugent – ‘Fritz Fryer was appointed by Michael Nugent to undertake the restoration of some important examples of period lighting at the iconic The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. These luminaires needed to be sensitively restored and carefully modified to incorporate Dali dimmable drivers, emergency packs and reliable energy efficient LED illumination. The Fritz Fryer team completed this project on time, within budget and were professional throughout. Michael Nugent highly recommends their services and we look forward to working with them again on future projects’