Royal Exhibition Building

The Royal Exhibition Building is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and our works at the Royal Exhibition Building focus on the conservation of the original fabric.

We have undertaken external render repairs and repainting of the eastern entry porch which included paint removal and the application of mineral silicate paint systems. In conjunction with Conservators, we have undertaken urgent conservation of the interior murals and decorative schemes to stabilise paint layers and plasterwork substrates. The interior retains three highly significant interior schemes related to the opening of the World Exhibition 1880, the Centenary Exhibition in 1888 and the 1901 opening of the Australian Federal Parliament. The stabilisation of the interior paint schemes and plasterwork are part of a temporary repairs strategy to maximise the retention of original painted schemes in preparation for future repairs and conservation works.

We have been investigating options for demountable disability access infrastructure for the southern and western steps. This project looks at low visual impact options for the installation of handrails to provide more complaint access during events without resulting in visual and physical intrusion on the heritage fabric.