Reaching for the sky

More than 80 years ago, the first Art Deco skyscraper captured the imagination of New Yorkers. Designed by architect Ralph Walker, the 32-storey Barclay-Vesey building in Lower Manhattan was heralded as an architectural triumph. The building, which housed the New York Telephone Company, was consequently designated a New York City landmark its entire facade, first-floor lobby and entrances were protected under the city's preservation statute.

Now the headquarters for the Verizon telecommunications company, the building's downtown location made it particularly vulnerable during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Two of the brick and limestone facades were substantially damaged when Seven World Trade Center fell. Along with gaping holes, much of the original carved limestone was shattered beyond repair, cables were broken, and there was a pile of burning rubble reaching four storeys up the side of the building.

Architect William Collins says his team was called in 24 hours after the attacks to assess the damage, with a view to restoring the building and its services.

Collins says entire column bays were destroyed as high up as the 13th storey, and the east facade was decimated up to the ninth floor. Falling debris had not only damaged underground cable vaults, it had also severed all telecommunications, electrical and drainage services.

Inside the building, dramatic fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity, coupled with smoke and water damage, threatened to destroy historic ceiling frescoes.

"The damage could have been far worse, but as the building is a concrete-encased steel structure with masonry infill, it withstood most of the shock of the towers falling. Today we would probably say it was over-engineered. Back in the 1920s, the engineers erred on the side of caution."

Stabilising the building was the first priority, Collins says. But it was also essential to restore the telecommunications the building served a significant proportion of the telecommunications network for downtown Manhattan. A fire wall was constructed within the building to allow work to proceed while debris burned outside, and cables were run out windows to provide temporary phone lines. Teams of expert builders, renovators and stonemasons then set to work to restore the building's original look and character.

Rebuilding the 22m-high Art Deco facade of the east entrance, with its bronze lattice panels and decorative carved limestone, was a major challenge. Collins says skilled craftsmen used historic photographs and mouldings taken from the west entrance to recast these decorative elements. Limestone and granite were taken from the same Connecticut quarry as the original materials and sandblasted to give a weathered look.

Frescoes on the barrel vault ceiling in the neo-Romanesque lobby were painstakingly restored by teams of painters and plaster experts.

Collins says he took the opportunity to pursue a more colourful interpretation of the formerly monochromatic decor of the executive offices. Vintage curly maple doors were restored and similar wood used for new office furniture.

"The woodworking on this floor shows an Arts & Crafts influence that is evident throughout the building," says Collins. "The ribbing detail of the barrel vault ceiling is a good example of the decor reflecting the crossover period between the Arts & Crafts and Art Deco movements."

Collins says the 20th-century landmark building is fully equipped with 21st-century technology the refurbishment even includes a new vertical corridor to house telecommunications equipment.

Story by: Trendsideas