Home - Conservation Studio

Welcome to
Conservation Studio.

Conservation Studio are a multi-disciplined team of
Architects and Heritage Consultants that specialise in the
conservation and adaptation of heritage listed buildings
and historic sites.

Conservation Studio are a multi-disciplined team of Architects
and Heritage Consultants that specialise in the conservation
and adaptation of heritage listed buildings and historic sites.

How can we help?

01 —
What We Do

01 —
What We Do

02 —
Who We Are

02 —
Who We Are

03 —
Our Work

03 —
Our Work

04 —
Contact Us

04 —
Contact Us

@conservationstudio

Fitzroy Town Hall Ceiling Conservation received an

Fitzroy Town Hall Ceiling Conservation received an Award for Heritage – Conservation at the 2023 Victorian Architecture Awards!

Below is the jury citation:

The restoration of the Fitzroy Town Hall Ceiling is marvellous. This project represents an outstanding example of how multidisciplined, insightful and research-based conservation can bring an important heritage site back to its former glory.

The Fitzroy Town Hall is a culturally significant building in Melbourne. Its elaborate plaster ceiling was in dire need of restoration, having suffered significant water damage and resulting mould contamination. The team remediated water ingress by introducing a siphonic drainage system. The original ceiling in the Council Chamber was a painted paper on hessian lining nailed and glued to timber boards. Covered in the 1930s due to water damage, this ceiling was removed to reveal a beautiful but deteriorated paper ceiling.

The restoration work involved conserving, stabilising and restoring 24 ceilings, which were progressively deteriorating, resulting in the temporary closure of the Main Hall and Council Chamber. Three main stabilisation methods were employed, including pinning the plaster ceiling back to existing joists, spray application of resin adhesive, and stitching the moulded ceiling embellishments using copper wire.

The restoration project showcases the successful combination of traditional and modern conservation techniques, resulting in the preservation of cultural heritage and an important landmark for future generations.

We are absolutely ecstatic and wish to thank everyone who contributed to this project. @cityofyarra @ivy.constructions.australia @stokesrousseau @ics_melbourne

We are super excited to share that we have been sh

We are super excited to share that we have been shortlisted in the Heritage Architecture category for our Fitzroy Town Hall Ceiling Conservation project in the 2023 VIC Architecture Awards.

The Fitzroy Town Hall Ceiling Conservation project included the repair of 24 ceilings of varying scale and complexity. Three primary stabilisation methods were employed in the conservation of the ceilings, each method specially developed to address the specific materials and original construction techniques.

Restoration of appropriate paint schemes using detailed paint sample analysis has revitalised the Main Hall whilst managing budget constraints.
The structural remediation of the main hall trusses was carefully planned and designed to avoid further movement in the roof and ceiling structure, and for the difficult installation processes.

Addressing the mould affected papered ceiling in the Council Chamber was challenging, to accept the loss of approximately 50% of the ceiling. The conservation of the remaining decoratively painted paper ceiling is an honest approach that respects the retained original fabric, whilst integrating clearly identifiably new fabric using traditional materials and techniques.

Photographer: Derek Swalwell @derek_swalwell & Conservation Studio

@stokesrousseau @ivy.constructions.australia @ics_melbourne @ics_conservation

Winners will be announced at the 2023 VIC Architecture Awards Dinner on Friday 16 June (wish us luck!)

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites, so this week we have asked members of our team to reflect upon a monument or site that is of particular interest to them. We share today images gathered during international travel (or captured while back on home soil!), and reflections about the selected monument or site.
Dan reflects:
Antwerp Terminal Station (Belgium) designed by Louis Delacenserie and constructed between 1895-1905 adopts a Baroque Revival verging on Mannerist interior reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library (Florence). The train hall was largely rebuilt after the Second World War as a result of missile damage.
#18April #IDMS2023 #icomosIDMS2023 #heritage #conservation #architecture

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites, so this week we have asked members of our team to reflect upon a monument or site that is of particular interest to them. We share today images gathered whilst traveling, and reflections about the selected monument or site.
Dillon reflects:
“The Yellow Line” in Hobart, Tasmania commemorates one of the largest acts of gay rights civil disobedience in Australian History. In October 1988 Hobart City Council banned a stall petitioning for decriminalization of homosexuality and arrested over 130 individuals defying the ban. Although not that old, the memorialization of queer activism through a monument attempts to challenge the notion of who has the right to occupy spaces and stands for a more inclusive future.
#18April #IDMS2023 #icomosIDMS2023 #heritage #conservation #architecture

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites, so this week we have asked members of our team to reflect upon a monument or site that is of particular interest to them. We share today images gathered during international travel (or captured while back on home soil!), and reflections about the selected monument or site.
Harry reflects:
In November 2019, whilst travelling through Japen, I visited the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo designed by Le Corbusier. The building was completed in March 1959 and is a symbol of the resumption of diplomatic ties between Japan and France after World War II.
In 2016, the site (including the main building and the forecourt), was inscribed on the World Heritage List (as a part of the Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement).
Most all of Le Corbusier’s five points for a new architecture and the museum of unlimited growth concepts can be experienced at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo.
Check out the seismic isolation pads for the footings of the building that can be viewed as if part of an exhibition.
#18April #IDMS2023 #icomosIDMS2023 #heritage #conservation #architecture

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites

Today is International Day for Monuments and Sites, so this week we have asked members of our team to reflect upon a monument or site that is of particular interest to them. We share today images gathered during international travel (or captured while back on home soil!), and reflections about the selected monument or site.
Fabi reflects:
The Structural stabilization of Basilica del Salvador was one of the early projects I worked in Chile.
The basilica is a brick construction started in 1874 by the German architect Teodoro Burchard, with concrete additions by the Chilean architect Josué Smith Solar in 1932.
The church was heavily damaged by earthquakes in 1906, 1985 and 2010.
As part of the team of @tandem_tl we designed and delivered the first steps of a bigger plan that includes the seismic isolation and partial restoration of the monument.
The Client for the project was Fundación Basílica del Salvador
Photo 1: EnTerreno 1918 Photo 2: Luis Poirot (Photographer) 1985 Photo 3: Unknown 1985 Photo 4,5,6,7 @tandem_tl
#18April #IDMS2023 #icomosIDMS2023 #heritage #conservation #architecture

Get in touch

We are always interested in new projects, opportunities, and establishing new client relationships.

Site by Three Names Creative

Copyright © 2023 Conservation Studio Australia Pty Ltd.

© 2023 Conservation Studio Australia Pty Ltd.
Site by Three Names Creative