WA Museum Boola Bardip

The original heritage-listed museum buildings added significant complexity to the redevelopment – from the need to strip lead paint to restrictions about the colours that could be used. The recoating of these historical buildings was required to align with the paint ‘look’ from when the buildings were initially built. Extra caution was required with coatings that were applied to original sandstone masonry, which would absorb and transfer moisture.

Thousands of people will walk the museum’s spaces each day, so it was vital that the interior wall paint could be cleaned continuously.

Light installations and reflective glass are used throughout the museum, causing reflections to walls. For this reason,the specified solutions needed to reduce glare and reflections.

Porter’s Paint was specified to allow moisture transfer from the historical sandstone. A coating of modern paint would not have lasted in this environment.

As the heritage buildings were initially painted with lead paint, each space within these buildings had to be stripped rather than painted over. Entire painting systems had to be applied to achieve this and deliver the desired result. Both interior and exterior areas were replaced with water-based finishes, which were rigorously tested to ensure they provided adequate protection.

The colour experts at Dulux conducted extensive testing of original coatings, including Dumond testing of every substrate in each building.

Due to the harsh fluorescent museum installation lighting prevalent throughout the project, matte finishes were used on interior walls to help reduce glare and reflections.

With heavy daily foot traffic and associated knocks, scrapes and scuffs, it was vital that the interior wall paint could be cleaned consistently. Dark colours were used throughout to reduce the appearance of marks or dirt that can build over time. Dulux Wash & Wear was specified to meet these needs and provide a long-lasting, washable surface.