FLINDERS STREET TRAIN STATION Dome Restoration

Melbourne CBD Victoria

BUILT

2016-2019

Repair and restoration of 5 copper Domes at Flinders Street Train Station using traditional techniques.

Specialist copper restoration and repair work was carried out by National Pressed Metal, contracting arm of the Australian Pressed Metal Group on all five of the Flinders Street Train Station copper Domes. The experienced teams from Melbourne Pressed Metal and Adelaide Pressed Metal worked closely with builder BUILT to repair and restore the impressive features. Damage from years of hail, lightning and exreme weather were repaired without the use of scaffolding using ropes and harnesses, requiring specialised training to carry out the work. The careful removal of one of the original Acroterions was required in order to exactly replicate and replace one Acroterion that was missing also using ropes and harnesses (see article on Acroterion for more detail). The seals and scrolls surrounding the oculus (round windows) on the Domes were all repaired and restored using aged copper to make the repairs indistinguishable from the original surface. Recladding of the base of one Dome was implemented using copper panels cut and hand folded on site using a manually opeated guillutine and pan brake in the onsite workshop set up specifically for the restoration of Flinders Street Train Station. Traditional installation methods were executed on the base of the Dome with return Petersburg joins used and the copper panels hand nailed into place with copper nails to exact heritage requirements.