

Koko, London
The Project
Locker & Riley is proud to have undertaken the plaster restoration at the recent redevelopment of “KOKO”, one of London’s last independent music venues.
Led by Archer Humphryes Architects together with KOKO Founder/CEO Olly Bengough, and interior design studio Pirajean Lees and contracted under Make One, the main contractor, culminated in the conjoining of three historic, Grade II-listed buildings.
The project involved closely working with English Heritage, The Victorian Society and Camden Council Conservation Department to produce the full restoration of the original building.
Locker & Riley’s work was extensive, ranging from initial conservation advice and guidance through to the restoration of the Main Auditorium ceiling decorative plasterwork. In addition, Locker & Riley sympathetically replicated many plaster elements across the project, including works to the Entrance Hall, Ticketing Hall, and numerous Lobbies & Bars.
Scope of Works
Main Auditorium:
A baseline survey of the entire Main Auditorium was undertaken by our dedicated Heritage team.
The ceiling was found to be fragile and required a full restoration & strengthening strategy with localised repairs across the ceiling
A 3.09 Ceiling. New ceiling to match original ceiling.
- Squeezes taken from original ceiling.
- Ceiling removed by others
- New mf5 grid system installed
- New match of existing fibrous ceiling panels and enrichments installed and made good.
Foyer Bar – Room 1.12
- Squeezes taken from original plaster cornice and frieze.
- Ceiling removed by others
- New wire and wad system gridwork installed to the large curved ceiling soffit area of the upper circle area.
- New curved fibrous plaster plain face ceiling installed and made good above the seating and bar area. A new match of existing ceiling band installed and made good at lower level of the ceiling.
- To the higher level, a new MF5 grid system installed to accommodate access panels and new M&E.
- New plainface ceing installed onto the MF5 gridwork.
- New radius cornice, frieze and ceiling mouldings installed and made good.
- Bespoke access panels formed into the ceiling.
Terrace Lounge – Room 1.14
- Squeezes taken from original plaster cornices, frieze and ceiling mouldings
- Ceiling removed by others
- New MF5 grid system installed with extra burgess channel gridwork for the new beamcases.
- New plainface ceing installed onto the MF5 gridwork.
- New fibrous plaster beamcases installed using wire and wad technique.
- New cornice and ceiling mouldings installed and made good. Enriched ceiling mouldings added to ceiling and beamcases.
- New wall panels installed above dado rail, with enriched corner embellishments.
Entrance Lobby – Room G17
- Squeezes taken from existing ceiling features.
- Water damaged plain ceiling soffits removed by L&R
- New MF5 grid system installed to ceiling soffit around the existing octagon skylights
- New plainface and ceiling mouldings installed and made good.
- Repairs made to damaged cornice.
Entrance Lobby – Room G13
- Squeezes taken from mouldings on the existing ceilings and beamcases.
- All beamcases around the perimeter of the room and in between the oval domes were removed by L&R.
- Holes that were cut by others in the domes, were used so that L&R could access and re-support the fibrous domes.
- New MF5 grid system installed to all areas of missing beamcases.
- New fibrous plaster beamcases installed and made good.
- All holes to existing domes were repaired.
- Repairs were made to a number of existing pilaster capitals.
Ground Floor Foyer – Room G11
- Complete new MF5 grid system installed with burgess channel wire and wad system, for the new fibrous plaster arches.
- 4no New fibrous plaster arch heads installed
- New plainface ceilings installed to 5no. ceilings between the arches.
- New cornice installed to the coffered areas.
- New “legs” fitted to the arches, down to skirting level.
Proscenium Arch
-
-
-
- Repairs made to the figureheads above the main stage
- New structural repairs made to the fibrous wall above the stage, and the existing cornice
-
-