Very well done to all involved in the Flinders Street Station Facade Strengthening and Conservation project, which was recognised with an Architecture Award for conservation in this year’s AIA Victorian Architecture Awards. That win sent the project forward to the National AIA Awards, and it was announced in Brisbane on the 7 November that the project has received a National Commendation for Heritage.

[ Strengthening in the clock tower at Flinders Street Station, photo : Martin Leitch ]

The jury citation noted that the team had undertaken … “a forensic process to repair water-damaged original fabric, increase structural and seismic stability, and introduce new structure and servicing into an iconic civic asset. Every millimetre of the extant fabric has been carefully assessed, and a rigorous program of restoration and retention implemented … An immense task of painstaking assessment, preservation and restoration, this vital exterior work sets a quality precedent for the future adaptation of the building’s interiors.”

[ Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, photo : Martin Leitch ]

The facade strengthening and conservation project was the first phase of a Development Victoria revitalisation project. The huge Station complex remained operational throughout the State Government-funded works, which focused on the building’s immediate needs — as well as conserving and refurbishing the fabric, including the clock tower. For a full description of the project, see Flinders Street Station.

2019 National AIA Awards : architectureau.com/articles/2019-national-architecture-awards/ >

Main contractor : Built
Structural engineer : Bonacci Group
Building services : Norman Disney and Young