Melbourne’s iconic Princess Theatre has recently been refurbished with an eye to bringing the 1886 building back to its former glory.

For the exterior of the theatre, the masonry facade has been stripped, repaired, and then repainted with Porter’s Mineral Paint. “The mineral paint was chosen for its breathability,” explains Amber Holland, Commercial and Architectural Consultant at Porter’s Paints.

A custom colour was created for the project to restore the theatre’s 1922 colour scheme. In addition to breathability, the mineral silica technology of Porter’s Mineral Paint provides exceptional colourfastness and longevity.

To highlight the more ornate features of the facade, a bespoke gold finish was created with a combination of Porter’s AquaGILD Exterior Gold and gold leaf. “The gold came into play as the original finish was gold leaf and that needed to be redone,” explains Amber. “The gold paint simplified the process hugely.”

Porter’s AquaGILD Exterior Gold was used for the base of these features with highlights of gold leaf on top. A darker tint of the Porter’s AquaGILD Exterior Gold was formulated to make the gold leaf details really stand out. Not only did the use of Porter’s AquaGILD Exterior Gold save on time and costs, but the paint doesn’t tarnish, resulting in a more consistent, long-lasting finish.

The refurbished theatre looks as good as new, while preserving the history and charm of the original heritage building. “Feedback has been fantastic,” says Amber.

Working on such an iconic project has been a pleasure for Porter’s Paints. “It was a humbling experience to work on the theatre,” says Amber. “It was fabulous to be a part of the project.”