Overview

The Bushells Building is a landmark heritage-listed former industrial building, warehouse and factory in The Rocks suburb of Sydney.

Built for Bushells Tea Company, the seven-storey building was completed in 1924-25 and occupied by the company for 50 years. The building provides a rare example of a 1920s warehouse that retains many of its industrial manufacturing features and the original – and prominent – signage on the exterior of the building.

In 1999 work was undertaken to convert the building to commercial office space – involving extensive conservation and maintenance work, preserving evidence of its former use by Bushells Tea.

ICS were engaged by Tanner Architects (now Tanner Kibble Denton Architects) to undertake significant conservation works to the original Bushells advertisement on the north wall. This work included taking paint scrapes to reveal the original paintwork, consolidation of the flaking paint surface and recreation of the original advertisement over an isolating layer.

In addition to the advertisement, inside the building ICS also conducted conservation works on various heritage machinery, such as tea blenders, and associated signage.

Treatment

Advertisement

• Undertaking paint scrapes to reveal original paint scheme
• Consolidation of flaking paint surface
• Application of isolating layer
• Recreation of original Bushells advertisement

Machinery and signage

• Cleaning and conservation of original industrial machinery
• Conservation of original internal painted signage
• Inpainting
• Consolidation of flaking paint surface