No. 1 Grosvenor Square

London

Originally constructed in 1936, Macdonald House served as the Canadian High Commission from 1961 to 2014. The building’s entrance featured a distinctive steel light feature and lobby, forming an integral architectural element.

During the property’s refurbishment to create high-end residential apartments, a 70% scale replica of the original skylight was commissioned, incorporating as many components from the original as possible. The steel frame was recreated in 20 mm aluminium, precision-cut using waterjet technology. Original decorative steel floral features were carefully removed, restored where feasible, and resized by cutting and TIG welding the central motif. Elements beyond repair were digitally scanned and faithfully reproduced using 3D printing and reverse engineering techniques.