Melbourne’s classically-inspired General Post Office was severely damaged by fire in 2001. Four years later, after internal restoration/reconstruction and a change of use to retail and offices, major conservation and restoration works began on the exterior. Despite the scale of the undertaking — it has been described as the largest leadwork project in the country — our approach has been subtle. It combined the Burra Charter philosophy of only replacing what really needs to be replaced, the responsibility of soundly conserving a highly significant building, and working with the traditional skills of specialist tradesmen with use of the latest technologies.
