American Standard Building Restoration

caseworks architect, PLLC was hired to provide inspection and diagnostic evaluation services at the exterior envelope of the American Standard Building, originally constructed in 1923-24 by the architect Raymond M. Hood. Our inspections revealed significant reconstructive repairs necessary at most areas of the building’s exterior. We were then asked to prepare and administer a repair program to address those conditions while permitting the 5-Star Bryant Park Hotel to remain occupied and fully operational throughout the duration of the project.   

 One of the main goals of the project was to preserve and restore the strong but elegant facades of the American Standard Building, a landmarked structure in New York City’s midtown Manhattan. Reconstructive repairs of the type required for this project are typically visible and detract from the beauty of the building when complete. To that end, limiting the awareness of the project after completion as well as during construction was of paramount importance.

 

 Prior to the start of the project, extensive testing was performed to determine the extent of disruption from construction noise. From this a comprehensive phasing schedule was prepared that dictated which and how many rooms would need to be taken out of service while the work was being performed at a specific area.  Daily coordination and communication between the project team helped to ensure the hotel remained occupied with uninterrupted operations.

We also designed a 30 foot high open-framed steel sidewalk bridge installed over the hotel entry and sidewalk below. This provided an opportunity to conceal the construction work above and limit public disruptions, while maintaining the sight lines from the building to Bryant Park, directly across the street. Guests and pedestrians were largely oblivious of the bridge as well as what was happening above.  

 The repair program, including replacement of nearly all steel lintels and a significant portion of the ornamental gold elements at the upper crown, incorporated the reuse of existing materials along with installing new materials that closely matched those existing from the original construction. The purpose was to blend the new materials within the existing envelope so that the public would be unaware that significant reconstructive work had occurred. The end result is an intervention that is barely perceptible.

 The brick masonry units used during the original construction are made from red clay with a black coating that was most likely applied after the units were fabricated in a firing process. Where possible, the existing masonry was removed, restored and reused. However, over 25,000 new bricks were required to be installed within the existing masonry fabric of the buildings façade. This work included nearly all of the soldier course units above the window heads, parapet reconstruction, corner reconstruction, and localized face-brick replacement. After a long search, a red clay textured unit with a black-brown coating was selected as the replacement brick unit.  The brick was approved by both the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and the national preservation organization, the Trust for Architectural Easements.  Once installed the units and surrounding mortar were hand-dyed to blend into the existing masonry field.

 The existing ornamental units at the crown of the building were originally constructed as solid cast-in place concrete elements. Replacement with matching materials and construction techniques were not feasible and as such new replica stones were fabricated using glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) units. These units are mounted to steel armatures attached to the newly reconstructed masonry parapets. 

 The American Standard Building is a significant individual landmark as well as a focal point and part of the fabric of New York City. The people at the Bryant Park Hotel wanted to show its support for the community by restoring this beautiful building for its neighbors, the public and their guests.  The work of this project provided significant and necessary repairs that will further help preserve the building for years to come.