Overview

Parkview Constructions engaged ICS to undertake conservation treatment of two pairs of concrete busts and statues on the historic façade of 59 Oxford St, Bondi Junction. The Oxford Street-facing façade was being preserved in front of the high-rise development of New Life apartments.

The two busts are located at the top of the façade on the building’s roofline, on decorated concrete plinths overlooking the street. An arched colonnade runs the width of the middle storey of the façade. The two statues are positioned either side of the central double column.  The statues are life-size, transforming at the waist into decorative elements, spanning the height of the storey.

Condition

• Dirty with surface dust, grime and insect casings
• Severe paint cracking and flaking
• Areas of corrosion
• Major cracks, potentially structural
• Areas of loss and detached components

Treatment

Treatment to the busts and statues included removing existing paint coatings, applying biocide, undertaking corrosion treatment, investigating the structural stability, repairing the cracking and loss of materials and the application of a new paint system.

Additional works were undertaken to one of the statues to enhance its stability. Corroded pins were replaced and additional pins on its upper sections were installed. Any detached fragments were re-secured with pins. Cracks were repaired using a cement and lime-based mixture. All metal elements were capped to prevent water ingress.