Wooden wonder

Government Buildings

Believed to be the largest wooden office building in the Southern Hemisphere, the Government Buildings were completed in 1876 for £39,000.

The prohibitive cost of stone at the time necessitated the use of timber, which worked out well as the flexibility of the timber has probably minimised earthquake related damage with the Lambton Quay reclaimed land regularly subjected to earthquakes. Extensions both north and south in 1907 provided significant additional floor space for the growing workforce.

In its heyday, most of the public service including Cabinet Ministers and the Government worked within its notable kauri clad interior. By 1990, the building lay deserted, the last public servants gone and the exterior paintwork and grounds neglected. Recognising that an important piece of New Zealand's history and architecture could not be allowed to deteriorate, the Government approved a major restoration project and the Department of Conservation's Wellington Conservancy was charged with the responsibility of managing the restoration to its 1907 appearance, including the restoration of original features. Resene was part of this first restoration matching custom colours to replicate what would have been appropriate for a 1907 building. Formally reopened in 1996 the building is now shared by historical displays open to the public and the Victoria University School of Law.

With over a decade since the last round of painting, it was time for another round to keep the building looking its best. The sheer size of the building consumed over 2800 litres of paint over a five month painting period. Surprisingly less than three weeks of working days were lost to the weather.

The exterior now gleams in Environmental Choice approved Resene Sonyx 101 waterborne semi-gloss, Resene Enamacryl waterborne gloss enamel on window and door trims and joinery, Resene Hi-Glo waterborne gloss on the roof area and sash windows finished in an engineered coating systems finish of Resene Uracryl. The colour palette is a match to that developed by Resene for the restoration last decade to keep the building consistent with its 1907 appearance. Obvious defects, such as rotten boards, were fixed while the scaffolding was in place to minimise deterioration of the paint finish and subsequent maintenance costs.

But the project didn't end there. 6.5kms of wire has been laid to protect against pigeon droppings and the building will be maintained twice yearly with a washdown to clean off pollutants and keep the paintwork looking fresh.

With the paintwork complete and the maintenance schedule organised, this building's next paint job will be diarised for next decade.

Department of Conservation: Richard Nester
Painting Contractor: Jamie Bryant, PMS
Project Manager: Melissa Turner, Opus International Consultants Ltd
Resene: Darren Morgan, Wellington Trade Manager
From the Resene News – issue 4/2007

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