Education and Cultur - Cultural Buildings

This modern concrete Cultural Centre was built in 1978 for exhibitions and concerts. It contains some of the oldest works of art dating back to the Roman-Gaul period in Swiss history.

The prefabricated orange concrete elements and red marble features were suffering the effects of strong climatic conditions. Weathering of the cement skin and spalling resulted in degradation of concrete surface layer. High surface porosity was also leading to technical problems, for example the influence of freeze and thaw cycles. Dirt and contaminants were deposited in the shadowy regions where also moss could be found.

The Power House Museum located in Ultimo required a waterproofi ng membrane that would protect the exhibits and the building itself. The failed rubber based membrane that was installed from the initial construction was allowing water to enter the building.

One of the most important jobs for the museum was the installation of wooden floors on the exhibition and permanent collections’ rooms. The Bank’s main concern was to install the wooden floor on a surface that did not meet the requirements in terms of the humidity levels of the concrete, which could damage the wooden floors. The inspectors, PAYC Ltda, had to find a solution that allowed installing the wooden floors in the shortest possible time, controlling the humidity, as well as to give some acoustic insulation, an important feature in a museum.

This project involved major refurbishment and an extension to the existing Museum, including the creation of several large rooms for banquets and parties. These rooms are located directly above offices and therefore the client wanted to dampen the footfall noise, thus the Sika AcouBond-System was specified.