We were asked to help with the launch of Diageo’s bid to create a new home for Guinness in the heart of London. The development is set to open in Autumn 2023 on a historic brewing site in Covent Garden. To mark the new development, we were asked to manufacture a replica of the famous Guinness gates in Dublin, as well as create an exhibition space to showcase renders of the £73 million development.
WHAT WE DID
Our talented team designed, manufactured and painted a replica of the famous Guinness gates in-house at our unit in Derby. The gates were manufactured from timber and plywood and then painted using a combination of processes to give an aged appearance. This was to look like the original gates in Dublin, which have stood there since 1759.
IT'S A PROCESS
The processes included a mist coat, a textured coat and a satin coat. The mist coat was mainly to seal the wood so it wouldn’t soak up too much paint. The textured coat helped the gates appear as if they had been painted over and over again for hundreds of years. This was to further help replicate the iconic gates at St James’ in Dublin. The final satin coat was painted on top, leaving small areas of the matte textured paint to create the look of an aged, worn pair of gates.
FINISHING TOUCH
The final addition was the famous harp logo and custom lettering to reflect the London location. All of which were stenciled precisely in gold on top of the bold, black background. The gates were then carefully loaded onto a truck to be driven to London for an evening install. During the installation, the gates and all Guinness branding were kept covered before the launch the following day.
WHAT WE ALSO DID
Alongside the replica gates, we were also asked to create an exhibition space to showcase the renders of the multi-million-pound development. Here we provided a seamless flat display wall, as well as exhibition track lighting. The idea was to keep this area minimal with the focus being on the renders themselves.
Applying the first coat of paint to the gate
Touching-up paint on the gate prior install
The replica Guinness gates installed at Old Brewer's Yard, London
IT'S NOT ALWAYS SIMPLE
As with many events, we faced some challenges. The main issues on this particular job were logistical ones. Getting a truck into Covent Garden is always a challenge, but ensuring we kept to strict timings for the install made sure this didn’t become an issue.
Seeing as you’ve made it all the way to the bottom of the page we’re assuming you’re wanting to learn more about Diageo’s £75 million bid. Head on over to their press release to learn all about what’s in store at Old Brewer’s yard.
