The era of a kaleidoscope of creams, bone and off-white shades of paint on the facades of the Sydney and Melbourne buildings in Canberra's city centre is set to end.
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And it will coincide with what the government hopes will be a laneway renaissance, with upgrades to support more outdoor events in the buildings' service lanes.
The heritage-registered buildings are unique: each tenancy has a separate title, meaning there has never been an overarching owners' corporation or body for the buildings.
The result has been a patchwork of different shades of paint along the inter-war Mediterranean-style buildings, which were the earliest major developments in Civic.
But laws passed in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday will give the City Renewal Authority the power to complete works associated with the buildings on private land in agreement with the owners.
A heritage management plan, finalised in January 2022, sets out the colour scheme for the building.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr and City Services Minister on Wednesday announced the official completion of upgrades to the Verity and Odgers lane areas between the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings.
Nearly 80-year-old stormwater infrastructure was upgraded, which will improve drainage and allow facade repair work to proceed.
Rising moisture, a result of poor drainage with the old stormwater pipes, had resulted in flaking render from the facade.
"This is the best these laneways have looked in my lifetime and I'm getting pretty old," the 50-year-old Mr Barr said.
"I'm delighted with the finished product. It really has been a complex piece of work. You've got nearly 100-year-old buildings. You've got very established and mature trees. You've got a mix of uses within these laneways."
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Mr Barr said the City Renewal Authority had achieved a level of co-ordination with the multiple building owners that had never before been achieved.
"[The lanes] are attractive spaces for people to be in, the result of all this work you see before us today. But it's only the beginning of what will be an ongoing program of restoration of these heritage buildings," he said.
Tim Brown, who owns the bar and music venue Sideway in the Sydney Building, said the upgrades would help drive the cultural enrichment of the city.
Phillip Keir, who owns the popular Verity Lane Market food hall in the Sydney Building, said the upgrades were a great step forwards.
"And we hope it's one of many and we're looking towards obviously developing other events in the laneways ... and we're hoping to build it all towards a celebration of these buildings' [centenary] in 2027," Mr Keir said.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
