Previous Projects | Wunderlite Pressed Metal Panels | Ceiling, Sydney, Original, Works, Panels

Previous Projects

Below is a list of previous projects completed by Wunderlite. Click on a link to read about it.




The Central Court of Petty Sessions - 1985

The first of the major restoration works carried out by Wunderlite was the restoration of the decorated ceilings in this 1890's building in Liverpool Street, Sydney.

The heavily ornate metal ceilings a feature of public areas and court rooms had been covered up by a plain suspended ceiling sometime in the 1950's and damaged by age, rusting and by cutting access through into the ceiling space above to carry services to the new ceiling. Further, repeated re-painting had compromised the definition on the original ceiling and much of the paint was peeling off due to lack of adhesion and age.

Wunderlite was invited to advise on the restoration of the pressed metal ceilings in conjunction with a major upgrading and refit of the Courthouse supervised by the. NSW Public Works Department. Drawing on our experience in other engineering applications, we advised that it would be possible to use abrasive blasting techniques to remove the flaking paint and most the paint buildup. We also advised that we could reproduce the original patterns in Zinc and in Aluminium.

Following on site testing of abrasive blasting we were then contracted to produce replacement panels and repair and restore the ceiling in the whole complex as per our suggested approach. This work was carried through to the finished painting stage over a three-month period in 1985 and established Wunderlite as the authority in such restoration works in Australia.

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Sydney Technical College - 1985

Sydney Technical CollegeThe original pressed metal soffit under the awning of this building, opposite the Central Railway Station in Sydney had been extensively damaged by rusting and by roadway widening. Awning structures are much more susceptible to corrosion than are internal installations due to roof leakage and the corrosive effect of motor vehicle pollutants.

Wunderlite were invited to inspect the awning and make recommendations as to the possibilities of restoring it to original condition.

We advised that there was no possibility of restoring or recovering any of the existing metal. We did ascertain that there were just enough of the original panels to use as patterns for die-making to allow us to reproduce all the designs in aluminium.

We were then contracted by the NSW Public Works Department to make the required dies and supply the complete package of metal to re-establish the original ceiling design.

Sydney Technical College This contract was fulfilled in mid 1985 and the works completed by Public Works Department contractors in conjunction with a major refit being undertaken at the time.

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The Commonwealth Bank Head Office - 1987

This historic building is a landmark Bank Office in Martin Place, Sydney.

Wunderlite was invited 1n 1985, by Devine, Erby Mazlin, consultant architects to the Public Works Department, to prepare an initial proposal for the restoration of the Banking Chamber ceiling. Acoustic panels had placed below the original ceiling sometime in the 1950's due to the resonance of the ceiling to the noise of manual adding machines which came into use during that time. We then produced a prototype acoustic panel to be used in the centre of each ceiling bay as a trial and were subsequently awarded the contract to strip and restore the whole ceiling.

Commonwealth Bank Head OfficeLeighton Constructions were awarded the head contract and we were sub contracted to them to start work on site in January 1997. Our responsibility included grit blasting, priming and repairing damaged elements, making new dies to reproduce damaged elements and duplicating and replacing missing plaster pilaster designs to the top of the chambers columns. We then sanded, undercoated and painted the top coat base colours ready for the decorative painters.

Our contract was completed in May 1997 ahead of schedule and this ceiling is now one of the architectural features of Martin Place in downtown Sydney.

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Sydney Town Hall - Concert Chamber Ceiling - 1987

The Pressed Metal Ceiling in the Concert Chamber was the first metal ceiling installed in Australia. The idea was promoted to the Town Council of the day by the Wunderlich brothers who convinced the council that the heavily decorated plaster ceiling, originally planned, was in danger of breaking up and falling due to the vibrations expected from the base notes of the new organ being shipped out from England. This organ was to be one of most powerful of its time.

The decision was made to redesign the ceiling in metal and the Wunderlich brothers set up their company to manufacture it largely from zinc which at that time was a by-product of the copper and lead mines at Broken Hill and elsewhere.

Wunderlite was invited in 1987 to strip the paint buildup and repair damaged elements in the ceiling as well as reproducing and replacing missing and damaged elements of the design. Our contract extended through to top coating in the final colours.

This work was carried out during 1987 and resulted in another significant contribution to the heritage stock of the Sydney CBD.

This project was of particular satisfaction of us as it represented the full circle in that we were chosen to repair the very first metal ceiling which was the inspiration for all that came after. It was the Sydney Town Hall ceiling, which was also our own inspiration to set-up our company to carry on the tradition of manufacturing such ceiling panels.

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The Downing Centre Awning Project - BEFOREThe Downing Centre Awning Project - 1989

This historic building was originally a landmark city department store [Mark Foys] with an extensive awning protecting three sides of the building, three major entrances and a forecourt along Liverpool Street in central Sydney. The total length of awning involved was some 264 metres.

After falling into disuse the building was acquired by the NSW Justice Department and destined to be completely restored and refitted as a Court House Complex.

Wunderlite was invited to inspect the condition of the awning and advise upon the feasibility of recovering for re-use some of the existing material to be incorporated in the restoration. Again the soffit had been extensively damaged by rust and pollution and by birds which had nested for years in the damaged awning. There were however areas in which the panels were in good condition and worth preservation and these areas were demolished with care and about 30% of the panels retained for re-use.

The Downing Centre Awning Project - AFTER Wunderlite contracted to strip, repair and replate the panels retained and to manufacture dies to replicate all 9 of the patterns making up the soffit design. The contract also included repairing and replacing the awning roof and box guttering, re-establishing the joists and battening system as per the original structure, re-fixing the new and the original facia and soffit panels and painting to the original design.

This project occupied some 6 months on site working alongside a full compliment of other sub contractors and resulted in a remarkable restoration effort, a credit to the Public Works Department of NSW and their Heritage Architects.

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St. Patrick's Catholic Church - Organ PatchSt. Patrick's Catholic Church at The Rocks Sydney - 1999

This 1830's church had its ceiling replaced with high relief pressed zinc panels in the 1890's after the original timber ceiling was destroyed by fire.

The ceiling had subsequently been damaged over the years due to some leakage and rusting, lack of adhesion in the layers of paint applied over the years. Structural damage had been sustained with the installation of an organ, which involved the removal of a large section of the ceiling over the Choir Loft along with florescent lighting panels which had been cut into the ceiling during the 1960's.

Wunderlite was approached 1n 1998 by John Graham and Associates, architects to the Church, to provide suggestions, a scope of works and a budget to restore the pressed metal decoration in the Nave.

The unique aspect of this project was that as the busiest Catholic Church in the country the work had to be done without interrupting services. These were transferred to a temporary hall established in the original basement of the church and continued 7 days per week during the whole of the renovation project.

St. Patrick's Catholic Church Wunderlite was chosen by A. W. Edwards, the main contractor, and began works on site in April 1999. Our work was completed in June and included abrasive blasting, demolition and replacement of damaged panels and the establishment of a passive ventilation cowling system built into the design of the ceiling and invisible from below.

We also were contracted to paint the topcoat colours and the gold highlights throughout the Nave and the Sanctuary.

Services were moved back into the Nave in November 1999 and the ceiling works compliment the refurbishment of all the windows, statues and other decorations to re-establish St Pats as a wonderful place of devotion and a credit to the Church.

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