Abstract

Modern urban areas represent our recent past with great aesthetic and heritage value which should be maintained and preserved for the future. One of the best recognized landmarks of the city of Novi Sad, capital of Vojvodina region positioned in northern Serbia, is the architectural masterpiece Banovina Palace in which today resides provincial government. It is an elongated, closed, horseshoe-shaped structure, built in late 1930s in a modern style and influenced by expressionist architecture. Two-floor high with a tower on one end the building dominates the scenery and symbolizes the appearance of a large ship on the Danube River which flows in the immediate vicinity. The façade of this famous building is covered with white marble from Adriatic island of Brac. After almost 80 years of exposure to weathering, urban pollution and manmade devastation, the façade was in need of cleaning, consolidation and protection. In the attempt to prepare for the European Capital of Culture 2021, the City of Novi Sad started ambitious project of local heritage revival. Due to awareness of lack of understanding about stone nature and behaviour, stone cleaning and protection usually raises concerns and cautious. The Laboratory for Materials in Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Technology, was invited to join the project to preform holistic characterisation of the stone, reveal deterioration mechanisms, and propose conservation methodology. Using mobile laboratory with non-destructive techniques coupled with laboratory testing, the stone façade was comprehensively analysed. Various deterioration patterns were identified including patina, dirt deposits, eroding surfaces, yellow layers and black crusts, large amounts of carbonaceous particles responsible for black appearance of stone surface, soluble salts, microbiological corrosion, residue of inadequate graffiti removal, façade paints, acrylic binders, as well as mechanical damage of stone panels. Based on laboratory testing of a number of cleaning, consolidation and protection techniques and products, the most promising ones were also tested in situ [1]. Products ranging from traditional conservation approaches to innovative solutions like self-cleaning photocatalytic coating as final protective layer, were selected [2]. Resulting from research the methodology for cleaning, consolidation and protection was established in 2017 and implemented in 2019, where the laboratory acted again as scientific supervision and control of the conservation works. The presented approach allowed deep understanding of the complex problem and guaranteed responsible conservation strategy; therefore it stands as an example of 20th century architectural heritage preservation.