THE pixelated face of Sir Robert Helpmann has finally been unveiled in its entirety as scaffolding is dismantled at the Mount Gambier Civic Centre.
External renovations at the civic centre are nearing completion, with the face of the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre’s namesake now casting a watchful eye over the city from the building’s 30 metre fly tower.
The $1.3m refurbishment, a joint project between Mount Gambier City Council and Country Arts SA, was initially delayed by several weeks but is on track to be completed early this month.
The bold mosaic makeover was designed by Stephen Herbert of Chapman Herbert Architects and has received mixed feedback from locals.
“The new-look fly tower has received some interesting comment,” Mr Herbert told The Border Watch.
“The feedback has been mostly positive but there are always a couple of naysayers.
“A few people have asked when we are planning to fill in all the detail on the face but that was never the point.”
Zinc panels fixed to a steel and plywood frame act as a waterproof skin to protect the deteriorating facade of the 35 year old building.
After a decade of patching, painting and repairing the fly tower’s existing cladding, the innovative construction was deemed a suitable long term solution to prevent further weather damage.
Complex alterations to the elaborate scaffolding system pushed the project $70,000 over budget and caused timing delays of around eight weeks.
“It has taken a bit longer than we imagined but the result is just as planned,” Mr Herbert said.
“I’m really happy with the result – it has changed the landscape quite significantly and I think it looks terrific from the lakes area.”
The construction team is expected to wind up early this month after completing external renovations on the lower area of the building over the auditorium.
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