In the 2015 Interior Awards, Studio Carolina Izzo was the winner of the Craftsmanship Award for the Conservation of the painted dome ceiling in the Isaac Theatre Royal.

This award is an acknowledgement of the specialist heritage knowledge required to make the architect’s dreams come true.  The award sets the benchmark for quality in New Zealand’s interior design. It is also an acknowledgement that conservation and restoration projects can be interior design projects.  The judges were fulsome in their praise:

“This project demonstrates the full range of the conservator’s skills including: scientific analysis, research, collaboration, material innovation, handcrafts – to seamlessly restore an iconic feature in one of Christchurch’s remaining great spaces… Like a classical music performance, this project involved being able to read someone else’s composition and insert subtle interpretations during its performance.  This is a project deserving of nothing less than a standing ovation.”

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You can read more about the restoration project at the Isaac Theatre Royal website.