Finishing touches

The success of any major commercial renovation project is dependent on the specialist skills of the tradespeople involved.

BW Building Work was contracted to fulfil two very different roles at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. As a joinery specialist, the company was responsible for replicating original timber joinery, which dated back to 1928. It was also commissioned to create the concrete staircase structure in the Grand Atrium, and the curved concrete wall beneath the porte-cochére at the southern entrance.

Director Brad Wright says the curved wall posed a particular challenge. As each part of the wall was different, the formwork needed to be customised for each portion, with strips of plywood bent to create the necessary shape a task that was also time consuming.

For the concrete staircase, BW Building Work first constructed the steel formwork supplied by Hawkins Construction. Wright says the curved form created another challenge, and required extra propping due to the immense weight of the structure.

In the panelled members' lounge, the company created a new opening and door. The remodelling entailed replicating the existing mouldings and architraves to provide a seamless look.

"Two of the major challenges for this project were sourcing the right timbers a job that took several weeks and ensuring there was no damage to the original panelling," says Wright. "We machined special blades in order to replicate the precise detail of the mouldings, and to achieve the required authenticity."

For more details, contact BW Building Work, PO Box 38-309, Howick, Auckland, phone (09) 533 4122, fax (09) 533 4119. Email: bwbuildingwork@xtra.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas