Scaffolding has reached the top of the Queen's Tower, where it's possible to see at first hand the finial and orb that adorn it!

At the heart of our South Kensington Campus the Queen’s Tower, which is more than 140 years old, is the last remaining part of the original Imperial Institute building.  Repairs are required to the masonry and the copper roofing is being replaced. 

The erection of scaffolding to make the repairs possible has been an engineering marvel. Needed both underground as well as above ground to ensure the structural integrity and safety of the building and provide safe working. It provides access for full survey of the tower and for the comprehensive cleaning of the stonework. 

The length of scaffolding being erected around the Queen’s Tower is 60km.  This would stretch from South Kensington to Silwood Park campus via White City, St Mary’s, Charing Cross, Hammersmith and the Chelsea and Westminster hospital campuses if the scaffold tubing were laid end-to-end. 

Currently the dome and finial finishes have been stripped off, to repair the wooden structures beneath, they, along with the orb will be refinished, the dome in copper and the orb gold leafed.

When the scaffolding is eventually dismantled the stone steps and plinth will then be repaired.

The works are now scheduled to complete in January 2026, while every effort to bring that forward will be made.

This project will provide at least 50 years of further life to the external fabric of the highly visible icon of Imperial. 

You can download full details of the project from the highlight button on our current project webpage.