Client: Parliamentary Services
Project Type: Civic, Administration
Project Timeframe: 2014 - 2016
Architects: Warren And Mahoney
Major restoration work on Parliament House, a Category I heritage building, was completed over 22 months while weathertightness was maintained and the business of Parliament continued uninterrupted.
The building is a highly distinctive civic New Zealand landmark, constructed between 1912 and 1922 in the Edwardian neo-classical style. One of the project’s many challenges was to source the stone and sand to match the original materials used. For instance, the cement mortar ponting was replaced with lime mortar which would have been used originally and allows the building to breathe.
Working with these materials requires trades people with the right skills. They include leadworkers, stonemasons and metalworkers familiar with the patination and waxing required for such tasks as refurbishing the bronze windows.
A thorough canvassing took place throughout New Zealand and beyond to secure the most appropriate subcontractors and personnel. Both the stonemason and the leadwork contractors were based in Sydney, Australia.
