Façade Restoration — 2010–2011
Trinity College Dublin Museum
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin
Comprehensive restoration of the Museum Building façades, where ornate Portland stone and granite called for a particularly sensitive cleaning methodology.
- Location
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin
- Project Type
- Historic Façade Restoration
- Materials
- Portland Stone · Granite
- Specialisms
- Nebulous Water Cleaning · Micro-Cleaning · Lime Mortar Repointing
The Project
Summit Conservation undertook comprehensive restoration of the Museum Building façades at Trinity College Dublin. The elevations combine finely carved Portland stone with granite, and the two materials behave very differently under cleaning.
That combination set the tone for the whole project: a single cleaning method applied across the building would have been the wrong approach. Each material was treated on its own terms.
Conservation Approach
The Portland stone was cleaned using nebulous water cleaning — a fine, low-pressure mist that lifts soiling gradually rather than abrading the surface.
Because saturation is the principal risk with that method, the granite was sheeted and protected throughout. Specialist nebulous systems were rigged around the ornate Portland stone areas so the mist stayed where it was intended. The granite was subsequently micro-cleaned.
- Nebulous water cleaning to Portland stone
- Granite sheeted and protected from saturation
- Specialist nebulous systems rigged around ornate stone areas
- Micro-cleaning to granite
Trinity College Dublin Museum
Repointing & Detail
Existing dark sand-cement pointing was removed from the façades and replaced with an appropriate lime mortar, restoring a breathable joint compatible with the surrounding stone.
The joint profiles received particular attention. Horizontal and vertical joints were treated carefully so that the finished pointing read as part of the original stonework rather than as a later intervention.
The Result
The façades were returned to an appearance appropriate to the building while respecting the historic materials, the detailing and the character of the architecture.
Project gallery
Related services
The specialist work behind this project.
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