Sydney Opera House conservation plan

–92–are now partly missing while others have been replaced in an ad hocmanner with varying degrees of success.Policy 47.1 The door numbering system appropriate to the differenttypes of doors should be retained. Where necessary, the numbers shouldbe replaced with precision using the original Helvetica medium typeface.LocksDoors in wobbly areas and work areas are fitted with a family of silvercoloured Astra mortice locks and associated furniture. Laminated brushbox doors have bronze fittings (fig.69).Policy 47.2 The relevant family character of door locks and associatedfurniture should be retained in any future work.Artworks69. Example of poorly designed signsappearing in the building. SOH photograph.The Opera House contains several artworks of a scale to impact on thespaces in which they are housed (Appendix 3). There are four majorelements: the murals of John Olsen and Michael Nelson Jagamara inthe northern foyers, and John Coburn’s Curtain of the Sun in theOpera Theatre and Curtain of the Moon in the Drama Theatre. Thecurtains occupied the proscenium arch when performances were not inprogress.Both murals and curtains are fine works and all present problems. Thewarp in the proscenium curtains deteriorated badly and they wereremoved for repair. It is unlikely that either will be returned to theirintended function. The acrylic paint on the murals fades in the extremelight of the northern foyers and they have been covered by curtains.Because of technical problems and options to be assessed, it is appropriatethat both murals and curtains be the subject of a separate study.Gifts are another class of art work acquired by the Sydney OperaHouse Trust. They can present problems and should not be acceptedunless they are designed for, and suited to, their intended location. Ageneral policy only on the acquisition of permanent artworks is appropriatehere.Policy 48.1 Artworks acquired in the future should be visuallycompatible with the character of the space in which they are to be setand capable of long life with ordinary maintenance and without intrusiveprotective coverings or treatments.Olsen’s splendid ‘Five Bells’ mural is an example. To have a paintingso faded (and still fading) that it has to be kept covered by an intrusiveand obscuring curtain is unacceptable. Consideration may be given to thereplication of ‘Five Bells’ in a ceramic or permanent medium while theartist is still able to oversee the work. The curtain should then beremoved. Failing that the painting should ultimately be replaced in accordancewith policy 48.1 above in a material appropriate to the environment.Policy 48.2 Artworks, whether curtains or murals, should not becut into sections to fit convenient walling elsewhere.In keeping with policy 45.2, no artworks should be erected on brushbox walling, off-form concrete or reconstituted granite in those spacesof exceptional significance listed on pages 36 and 37.Policy 48.3 A guide should be prepared and adopted to cover theacquisition, replacement and disposal of artworks that takes intoaccount the policies in this conservation plan.