A Facelift for the Ritz Mansions

The Ritz Mansions on Fitzroy Street St Kilda, RBA’s much loved home for the past 15 years, is currently undergoing repair and refurbishment works to the exteriors. RBA have been closely involved with researching and documenting the works which include repainting the façades and repairs.

For the façades, a mineral paint (Keim) rather than a modern acrylic paint was selected to achieve an effect more in keeping with the original coloured render. The colours are a contemporary version of the original scheme which was determined via a paint scrape analysis.  this involved cross sectional analysis under a polarised magnified light source using the Munsell colour reference system.

 

To the rear, the opportunity has been taken to restore the original ‘blood and bandages’ façade presentation (alternating bands of render and face brickwork).  This was been achieved by removing the acrylic paint from the brickwork.  Unfortunately this approach was not possible at the front where the brickwork has previously been fully rendered making removing it difficult without damaging the bricks. Various repairs are being carried out to damaged render, concrete and timber elements.

 

The five storey Ritz Mansions was built in 1927 to a design by Ernest H Long during a time when many apartment buildings were being built in St Kilda.