In the restoration of Auckland’s historic Chief Post Office building by Cheshire Architects, every detail — including surfaces — became a question of stewardship as much as aesthetics. Here, every coating selection carried consequence, not simply in how the project would appear on completion but in how it would endure.
Working alongside the architects, Resene developed a comprehensive Engineered Coating Systems specification tailored to the demands of this landmark building. Across heritage steelwork, exterior structures, and contemporary insertions, the approach balanced protection with refinement, ensuring longevity without compromising its storied past.
The steel window frames of the former CPO were coated with a high-performance system comprising Resene Armourcote 220 to provide long-term durability and integrity before being finished in Resene Uracryl 403, a long-life, high-gloss, urethane acrylic coating that restores depth, sharpness, and resilience to the original material.
Elsewhere, the structural steel framing within the glasshouse link introduces a more contemporary material expression. Here, Resene Armourcote forms the foundation beneath Resene Imperite I.F. 503 — a metallic finish that lends the intervention subtle luminosity and precision without overwhelming the historic shell to which it connects. Interior walls were finished with Resene Sandtex, a tough, acrylic textured finish in Half Sandspit Brown.
As part of a wider, cohesive whole, Resene products have contributed to a carefully resolved material language that allows one of Auckland’s most significant heritage buildings to move confidently into its next chapter.
