Central Railway Station: Sandstone and Lighting Conservation - October 2016

Sandstone Conservation and Historic Lighting Upgrade at Central Station

As part of the stone conservation program at Central Station, works on ‘Wall W’ at the Western Forecourt entrance from Railway Square along Pitt Street commenced in March 2016.

Work included:

• Steam cleaning and desalination of historic sandstone
• In-situ patch repair of decayed stone
• A small amount of stone replacement to match existing
• Re-pointing of the whole wall with traditional lime mortar.

Heritage architects, engineers and specialist trades, including stonemasons, made up the team. Sandstone was supplied by Public Works NSW with main stone masonry works conducted by Stone Mason & Artist P/L. Heritage repair and conservation works were detailed and supervised by OCP Heritage Architects.

Given the heritage significance of the Western Forecourt, improved lighting was also provided in this area. Using an existing historic lamp to create a mould, Clingcast Metals P/L fabricated iron replicas. The lamps were then date stamped and installed in seven places where historic lighting was missing.

Central Station is the heart of our network and deserves the best conservation care. When first built in 1906, the ramped Western Forecourt with its central garden was prominent from Railway Square and accommodated horse drawn cabs. The open space of the forecourt and the use of sandstone for the perimeter wall are integral to the setting and significance of the main terminus building.

Stone conservation and lighting upgrade works were completed in October 2016.