Best of 2005 Awards

Essex County Courthouse

Project of the Year: Rehabilitation and Restoration

When the Essex County Courthouse opened in 1906, Newark was one of the state's most vital urban centers, with strong local industries, a solid economic base, and the nation's first county park system.

The courthouse's position along the slope that rises westward from Broad and Market streets - a prominent city intersection - gave it authoritative stature while providing scenic views of and from the building. Designed by Cass Gilbert, whose other works include the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., and Manhattan's Woolworth Building, the marble-clad courthouse also has artwork from leading American Renaissance artists.

But the structure had fallen into great disrepair over the decades and finally closed, sitting vacant for 13 years while court functions shifted to the adjacent Hall of Records building. The project team faced great hurdles to restore the 180,000-sq.-ft. facility, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The $60 million project, which began in 1996, proceeded slowly for years, with the exterior work finishing first in 1999, followed by the completion of selective demolition and hazardous materials abatement in 2001. The interior restoration began in 2002, and the county finally put the project on an aggressive timetable a year later. The facility reopened in March.

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The work encompassed everything from the restoration of historic features to installation of technological systems, such as air conditioning, fire suppression, telecommunications, and security. There also were upgrades to accommodate modern amenities and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Overseen by Tishman Construction's Newark office in a joint venture with Century 21 Construction of Clifton, N.J., the project had three phases, starting with the development of a space allocation program for the Civil Division of the Superior Court and a careful architectural and historical analysis. The second phase involved cleaning and restoring the marble façade, as well as replicating deteriorated decorative elements. The team also restored large windows and nine marble statues.

The most extensive phase was the third, which involved the interior restoration and renovation. The work entailed adding historical finishes and refinishing wood throughout the structure. The team also restored 10 historic courtrooms and added a new courtroom.

The third phase also involved replacing all building systems, which in many cases required the team to find space for new ductwork, conduits, piping, and air-handling equipment within the existing structural configuration. The team chose to redeploy an elevator for prisoners as the space for major ductwork and conduit. It also adapted the original coal-storage chambers to accommodate electrical service equipment and the original boiler rooms to house heating and air-conditioning equipment.

The building is now fully wired for telephone and data communications, including courtroom amplification systems for the hearing impaired. The team also made repairs to the marble and granite entrance stair and plaza, as well as to the building's drainage system and roof.

A major restoration task involved the rotunda, which dominates the eastern portion of the building. The rotunda - supported on massive stone piers and ringed by staircases and open corridors - is topped by a stained-glass Tiffany skylight and two smaller side domes. The team reconstructed the skylight, cleaned the stone, added fiber optic lighting, and restored paint surfaces - in some cases removing colors from a 1929 restoration in order to recreate the original 1906 finish.

The team even took on the restoration of the original furniture, as well as 1920s-era pieces, including more than 400 chairs, 175 courtroom benches, 35 tables, coat racks, and umbrella stands. The restoration of historic murals, fabric, and other artwork involved analysis and craftsmanship by specialists.

One judge summed up the panel's admiration for the building by saying, "I want to get arrested there, so I can visit the courthouse."

Key Players

Owner: County of Essex

Architect: Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects

Construction Management: Tishman Construction; Century 21 Construction

General Contractor: Cobra Construction

Materials Conservation: Building Conservation Associates

M-E-P Engineer: Joseph R. Loring & Associates

Structural-Civil Engineer: Schoor DePalma

Mural Restoration: EverGreene Painting Studios

Restoration Contractor: Hall Construction