LACHLAN MACQUARIE

AWARD FOR HERITAGE

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne,
Conservation ofthe Fabric
Falkinger Andronas, Architects,
Heritage Consultants

JURY CITATION
Marvellous Melbourne. like Chicago,
was one of the most rapid and
amazing urban phenomena ofthe
late nineteenth century, ptmctuated
by a range of grand public buildings.
St Patil's Cathedral is prominently
located at a key intersection
overlooking the Yarra River and
St Kilda Road. Construction began in
1880 to designs prepared by English
Gothicist William Butterfield
and realized by a number of very
competent Melbourne architects,
with final completion in 1933.
The design reveals Butterfield's
love of complex patterning and
materials, though tempered by
lohn Barr's thoughtfully resolved
twentieth-ccntuiy sandstone spires.
Gothic cathedrals are complex
structures, requiring careful
management and maintenance if
they are to survive in good order and
serve changing patterns of use.
Falkinger Andronas has been
responsible for the conservation of
both Melbourne's major cathedrals,
,inii at Sl Paul's has been involved

Architect
Falkinger Androiws.

Richard Falkingct;
director and prvjecl
architect At\h\i!

Gabtielle Moyian;

Priority has been given to major

works in difficult and inaccessible
areas, in particular the towers,
spires and roof, as other parts can be
attended to more readily. The decay
of the building has been slowed,
stormwater failures have been
addressed (and the water tanked on
site) and the building surfaces (in
particular the interior) cleansed, so
that we can more readily appreciate
the visual qualities ofthe cathedral
as its designers intended.

Stnictuial consultant
Bonacci Group

Acoustic consultant
Acoustic Directions

Eleclrical contractor
Rely-on

Structural consultant.
glazed screen
Arup Facade
Engineering

Photogrammetry
Cassissi and
Associates

Sound system
Rutkdge
Engineering (Aust.)

Lif[hlinuconsuhant
Vision Design Studio

podium and ({lazed

screen contrae tor

Glass artists
Janiis and Magda
Kuzbicki

Andrew Sypkens

Services consultant
Lineo tne Scott
Australia

Original architea
William Bulerfield.
loseph Reed,
lohn Ban and olher

[..andrapp mnsiillant
City of Melboume

graduate arrhitM

for over nine years, with the life of

the cathedral ongoing throughout
the project. Their work began with
the preparation of a conservation
management plan and involved
stone and spire repairs, roof and
stormwater works, mosaic and
stained glass conservation, and the
provision of new wiring and lighting.
Disabled access to the front door has
been discreetly introduced and a new
glazed storm porch created, allowing
a more open entry and the formation
of a rich modem glazed panel, which
extends the character of the historic
west window to the floor of the nave.

Pho logra pher

)o Daniel 1 (above
lefi and opposite).
Restoration

Herald and Weekly

lmeCabove right)
SOUTH ELEVATION.
FUNDERS STREET 1:1000

M NDVEHBE8/DECEHBER 2003

MOORHOUSE TOWER AND SPIRE

RESTORATION. EXTENT OF WORK 1:800

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