The architecture team has completed an addition to the Schwerkolt Museum, a pioneer cottage and farm complex in Mitcham, Victoria.

The form of the new high-volume space for exhibiting historic farm machinery was informed by nineteenth century agricultural buildings elsewhere on the site. It was built in six weeks using exposed recycled hardwood and galvanized iron.

[ photos: Lovell Chen ]

In recent weeks Lovell Chen has completed restoration works on three mid-nineteenth century Victorian railway station buildings, including the rail complexes at Bendigo and Ballarat.

The comprehensive overhaul of the ceremonial west and south elevations of Ballarat Station (left hand picture) involved the reinstatement of details, mouldings and key stones that had been removed prior to the Queen's visit in 1954.

At Bendigo Station, the original colour scheme and fittings have been restored to the neglected secondary entrance to the south of the railway complex.

The restoration of Werribee Station, built in 1857 by the Geelong & Melbourne Railway Company, marks the 150th anniversary of a building with a tumultuous past. A fire struck the building in 1927, resulting in the destruction of two-thirds of the bluestone and sandstone structure. It was subsequently rebuilt to a revised plan. Tragedy struck again in 1979 when a goods train left the rails and crashed into the south façade, causing extensive damage.

Lovell Chen has helped restore Werribee Station to its 1920s form. It will now be used as an office.

[ photos: Fraser Brown ]

We are undertaking an assessment of the heritage values
of 28 air traffic control towers at airports across the country for Airservices Australia.

The project has included the preparation of a typological study of control towers, which has identified developments in the design, height and location of the towers since the interwar period.

The earliest tower in the study is the Art Deco-style integrated Operations and Administration building at Adelaide's Parafield Airport (left hand picture), which was built in 1940, a time when communication with aircraft was achieved by visual aids, including flags, flares and Aldis lamps.

The most recent tower is Sydney No.5, designed by prominent architects Ancher Mortlock & Woolley and completed in 1994.

The project is being undertaken as part of Airservices Australia's compliance with the requirements of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act.

[ photos: courtesy of the Civil Aviation Historical Society ]

The latest phase of Lovell Chen's on-going maintenance of
the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne is the installation
of 1,600 sq m of spotted gum floor boards in the nave.

Three trucks delivered the timber to the World Heritage-listed landmark in December. Work will be complete by the end of January 2008.

In a variety of capacities, we have been working on the restoration and conservation of the Exhibition Building since 1978 ...
more on Royal Exhibition Building

[ photo: Fraser Brown ]