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3. Restoring Shop Fronts Very often the original elements of an historic shop front are concealed due to later additions and alterations. Careful visual analysis and opening-up works can reveal the original beauty of a shop front, as demonstrated in the case below with an Edwardian shop front that was designed as a unified composition incorporating a carriage arch. The removal of incongruous additions and the restoration of original elements would make this one of the most prestigious frontages on Thomas Street.
A Case for Reinstatement - Art Nouveau Shop Front, Thomas Street, c. 1900
4 1 3 2 5 1 Handsome original pilasters and pear-shaped capitals. These and the entire shop front should be painted as a unified composition with softer complementary colours.
2 Hostile exterior mounted roller shutters. Should be demounted and new perforated shutters erected internally. 3 Original elegant Edwardian glazed window lights, painted over. Paint should be removed and glass restored. 4 New signage should be erected on original fascia board, comprised of individually mounted or painted lettering. 5 Presentation of gates should be improved through painting and removal of sheet metal panels. Thomas Street: Improving the Public Face of an Historic City Centre Street