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DOME RENOVATIONS

In September 1999 Gutteridge, Haskins and Davey (GHD) were appointed to undertake the design, documentation and construction supervision of the Dome refurbishment works. A Project Committee was established with Professor Ross Taylor (Chairman), Professor David Curtis and Professor Bill Levick.

The design and documentation work was completed in early 2000, together with the pre-qualification of select tenderers. Tenders were called in April 2000. The successful tenderer, Project Coordination (Australia) Pty Ltd, was appointed and construction commenced in May 2000. Progress has been good, notwithstanding some wet weather. Construction works were completed in February 2001.

Progress photos

A new external engineering services plant room is being constructed to the southeast of the Dome. It is buried into the sloping site so that its roof line is at about the same level as the ground floor of the Dome. The plant room will house a new main switchboard, air-conditioning chiller and moat filtration equipment, all linked into the existing Dome basement by a secure connecting tunnel under the moat.

Commencement of bulk excavation – May 2000

Moat drained and underground drainage in progress – June 2000

Excavation for footings, tunnel and grease trap in progress – June 2000

Tunnel under moat looking towards the Dome basement wall with side walls reinforced ready for concrete spray and before breakthrough into basement – June 2000

Concrete supply to pump machine for tunnel wall spray-crete – June 2000

Tunnel spray-crete completed and adjacent footings excavation in progress – June 2000

Grease trap installed – June 2000

Chair of Project Committee, David Curtis, keeping an eye on progress – July 2000

Formwork for southwest bridge. Not shown, steel arches supporting lateral timbers – August 2000

Formwork in place for the southwest bridge – August 2000

Southwest bridge seen from the landing of the stairs to the first floor of the Shine Dome – August 2000

Rocco (centre) worked on the concreting of the Dome in 1958-9, using a wheelbarrow! Concrete pour in southeast bridge – August 2000

Plant room walls completed – August 2000

Southeast bridge, concrete poured – August 2000

Inside formwork for plant room, tunnel connection (after pour) – August 2000

The tunnel after closure of the link to the plant room – August 2000

Outside wall of plant room – August 2000

Southeast bridge – August 2000

Tunnel lit by work light – August 2000

Close-up of bridge light formwork – August 2000

Plant room showing concreting of connection to tunnel – August 2000

A wide range of services flow into the Dome through the new tunnel. Most are now in place – October 2000

The kitchen gets a new plaster ceiling over the old vermiculite – for health reasons – October 2000

Glass bricks set into bridge before concrete pour – November 2000

Smoothing concrete on new bridge before application of exposed aggregate finish – November 2000

At last it looks like the Dome is being renovated – December 2000

The excavation around the new plant room has been back-filled and the chiller plant is working – December 2000

The ramp from the car park to the new southeast bridge is complete. Its slope is 4° – December 2000

The southeast bridge is complete – December 2000

The forming of the new entrance courtyard continues – December 2000

Part of the detail of renovation; the joints between the ground slabs of the colonnade are being cleaned out, repaired and re-filled – December 2000

The corridor past the Council Room is no longer open to pedestrian traffic. Looking down into the basement plant area – December 2000

The Council table is being wired for power and data, but Council will continue to meet in person (for the time being) – December 2000

The Fellows Room (formally the Academy's general office) is also being wired for data access, and a new bench installed – December 2000

Communications conduits to link the Shine Dome and Ian Potter House – December 2000

The trench carrying three PVC conduits from the Dome to Ian Potter House; dug and partly back-filled within four hours – December 2000

To renovate the Wark Theatre lights a scaffolding has been erected covering the entire theatre, with a floor (visible at the top of the photo) placed just below the lights – December 2000

The Wark Theatre's dais appears imprisoned within the scaffolding – December 2000

Working on the theatre lights – December 2000

Bob Piper (site foreman) and Graham Morgan (project manager) discuss treatment of reflector lights – December 2000

David Curtis (Chair, Project Committee) and Nerida Dunn (Buildings Manager) consider climbing the scaffold – December 2000

Those working on the theatre lights, unlike Michelangelo working on the Sistine ceiling, can do it sitting down – December 2000

Ross Taylor and David Curtis consider the condition of the light reflectors – December 2000

The new forecourt takes shape. The drive strip of exposed aggregate will match the surface of the Dome's colonnade – January 2001

John Shine delivers his speech at the launch of the Shine Dome – 4 May 2001

The Prime Minister and John Shine at the launch of the Shine Dome – 4 May 2001

John Shine and the Shine Dome – 4 May 2001

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