Royal Marines School of Music Refurbishment
Location: Dockyard, Portsmouth
Duration (dates): August 2022 – January 2024
Value of Works: Circa £7m
The Royal Marines School of Music, an institution with a rich heritage of training some of the world’s finest military musicians, required a comprehensive refurbishment to modernise its facilities while preserving its historic significance. Located in the Dockyard, Portsmouth, the refurbishment project was carried out from August 2022 to January 2024, with a value of circa £7 million. This extensive renovation involved both structural and interior refurbishments across the ground, first, and second floors of the building.
The works commenced with a full strip-out of the existing FFE allowances, including the removal of all partitioning, flooring, ceilings, IPS systems, doors, skirting boards, sanitaryware, and wall tiles. New openings were created throughout the building, and repair works were undertaken on the floors and walls. The lower, top, and barrel roofs were also completely stripped, treated, primed, and insulated. Roof lights were installed as part of the roofing work, and extensive brickwork repointing was carried out.
Externally, various repairs were made to the building’s elevations, including wall repointing, patch repairs, and concrete works to the south, north, and east facades. Window cills were replaced, and redundant fixings removed. A combination of refurbishing existing UPVC windows and installing new ones was employed where necessary. Internally, doors were installed or refurbished on the first and second floors, and full redecoration of walls and ceilings was completed, followed by the installation of new flooring throughout.
Once the structural elements were addressed, the refurbishment progressed to the installation of new kitchen units and sanitary appliances. All mechanical and electrical services, which had been stripped out during the initial phase, were replaced. The external ramps were demolished and replaced with new concrete ramps, with specific modifications made to the front entrance to ensure improved accessibility.
Throughout the project, Concept Building Services served as the main contractor, overseeing a wide range of trades including roofing, flooring, mechanical and electrical installations, groundworks, and extensive structural repairs. The project was completed to the highest standards, ensuring the building was fully modernised and fit for use by the Royal Marines School of Music.