Two NYC Projects Win Statewide Preservation Awards

Related Media

Secretariat After Renovation - with new high performance curtain wall and glass to match the transparency of the original single glazing Copyright Woodruff / Brown Architectural Photography

• Apple Store, Upper East Side. © Peter Aaron/Esto

ALBANY, NY (04/22/2016)(readMedia)-- The Preservation League of New York State has selected two projects in New York City to receive its prestigious Excellence in Historic Preservation Award. The League's statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York State's irreplaceable architectural heritage.

"These projects illustrate the broad range of preservation efforts in New York State," said Jay DiLorenzo, president of the Preservation League. "From the re-purposing of a handsome and understated neoclassical building on the Upper East Side, to a high-tech replacement of multiple buildings' aluminum and glass curtain walls, these award winners demonstrate that modern and green enhancements can be made while retaining character-defining properties. We commend them both for their efforts."

Apple Store, Upper East Side

The Apple Store, Upper East Side is an adaptive reuse of Henry Otis Chapman's 1922 U.S. Mortgage and Trust building. The project included exterior restoration, reconstruction of historic finishes, sensitive alterations, and upgrades to building services. The project team is a veritable "who's who" of leaders in the preservation field, and their collective expertise is clearly reflected in the outcome.

Contributing to the success of this project were Karl Backus, FAIA, Design Principal, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; David Andreini, AIA, Associate Principal/Project Manager, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; Brigham Keehner, AIA, Senior Associate, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson; David Abramson, AIA, Principal in Charge, CTS Group, Chatham, NJ; David Itzla, Senior Development Manager, Apple; Cas Stachelberg, Partner, Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, NY; WSP Group, New York; Eckersley O'Callaghan, New York; Larson Engineering, Milwaukee, WI; Langan, New York; ISP Design, Miami, FL; Nicholson and Galloway, Glen Head, NY; EverGreene Architectural Arts, New York; Rockmor Electric Co., Brooklyn; United Air Conditioning Corporation, Long Island City; Duo Plumbing & Heating Corporation, Staten Island; Aurora Lampworks, Brooklyn; Nine Stone Marble and Tile, Pearl River, NY; and Shawmut Design and Construction, New York.

"This project required a focus on reinterpreting and recreating the original qualities of the building," said Karl Backus. "We're quite happy with the outcome and proud of the team's work in restoring the grandeur of the space. We are honored to receive this recognition."

United Nations Campus Headquarters Glazed Façades Replacement

The glass and aluminum curtain wall façades of the Secretariat, General Assembly and Conference Buildings were replaced in kind, matching the original, under the United Nations Capital Master Plan. The project maintained the historic appearance of these significant mid-century buildings while providing a new state of the art high performance enclosure that exceeds current code requirements as well as meeting the UN's current security objectives. The project engaged a team of experts across a number of disciplines, and establishes a model for faithful reconstruction and celebration of the modern era curtain wall.

Contributing to the success of this project were Robert Heintges, Senior Partner, Heintges & Associates; Michael Adlerstein, Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director, and Katherine Grenier, Chief of Design and Construction Planning, both of the United Nations Capital Master Plan; Gardiner & Theobald; Skanska Building USA; Syska Hennessy Group; Weidlinger Associates Inc.; EYP; HLW International; Kroll; Entek; and ATC Associates Inc. The custom-designed curtain wall and glazing for the project were sourced from around the world, including, Korea, Mexico, Belgium, Germany and the USA, and were provided by Benson Global, Gamma, Viracon, Interpane and Saint Gobain.

According to Robert Heintges, "The most gratifying reaction to the project's completion has been surprise that anything was done at all!"

The awards will be presented at the Preservation League's Awards Ceremony in New York City at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11th at the historic New York Yacht Club, 37 West 44th Street.

The complete list of award winners is: The Renaissance Albany Hotel (Historic DeWitt Clinton Hotel) – Albany; Apple Store, Upper East Side – Manhattan; United Nations Campus Headquarters Glazed Façades Replacement – Manhattan; Babcock Shattuck House – Syracuse; Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial – Saratoga Springs; 845 Commons (Historic Mica Insulator Co. Building) – Schenectady; T. G. Hawkes Glass Co. Apartments – Corning; and Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock.

"With our annual awards program, the Preservation League explores not just the present, but the future of historic preservation. Many of the 2016 award winners provide valuable examples for others by incorporating energy efficiency techniques, adaptive reuse strategies and Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits," said DiLorenzo. "Each year, we are impressed by the number and variety of laudable nominations, and this year was no exception. We are delighted to celebrate the rebirth of the U. S. Mortgage and Trust as the Apple Store, Upper East Side, and to applaud the masterful replacement of the glazed façades on the United Nations' General Assembly and Secretariat Buildings by giving these very different yet admirable preservation efforts the statewide recognition they deserve."

###

The Preservation League's Excellence in Historic Preservation awards program is funded by a generous grant from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation.

The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs all across the state.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS :

Shannon Krick, PR + Communications

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

415-989-2100; skrick@bcj.com

John Breisky, Senior Associate

Heintges & Associates

212-652-2978; jbreisky@heintges.com