Urban renewal

Sandstone walls at the base of the Lumiére Residences reference the historic buildings in the precinct. And like those early architectural classics, the sandstone for the new building was sourced locally.

Bondi Stone (Australia) supplied and installed sandstone cladding to the base and walls lining the three street entrances to the building.

Director Darren Finlayson says the company needed to design a cladding system that would look like solid stone. The cladding also had to match the bronze corner details, and the aluminium windows and panels.

"We chose a sandstone that was similar to stone that appears on an historic art gallery at Woolloomooloo. And, although the cladding on the Lumiére Residences is just 60mm thick, the use of L-shaped corners gives the impression the stone is a solid 250mm."

Finlayson says Bondi Stone also designed the engineering system that fixes the stone to the building.

"The system needed to withstand the considerable weight of the stone each panel weighs more than 100kg. Consequently, it was also a challenge to lift and install the stone in place."

Such work is nothing new for the small Australian company, however. Bondi Stone not only sources and supplies stone products, it also designs the mechanical fixing systems for its stone cladding, and specialises in large-scale commercial projects.

For more information, contact Bondi Stone (Australia), phone (02) 9662 3200, fax (02) 9662 3211. Email: bondistone@bigpond.com.

Story by: Trendsideas