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Best of 2006 Awards
New York Public Library Lionel Pincus & Princess Firyal Map Division
AWARD OF MERIT: Rehabilitation, Renovation, and Restoration
PHOTO BY PETER AARON |
Restoring the Lionel Pincus & Princess Firyal Map Division at the New York Public Library was an exercise in precision and planning that ultimately resurrected a gem of a space without ever closing it.
The $3.75 million, 7,000-sq.-ft. renovation, which began in December 2004 and finished in January, enhanced both the space’s functionality and access to a collection with items dating to the 16th Century.
“It was like doing surgery, very precise and intricate work,” said one of the judges. The design prepared by Davis Brody Bond of New York and built by F.J. Sciame Construction of New York aimed to allow faster access to the collection, add storage space, and accommodate new geospatial technology research tools. The two rooms remained open throughout the project.
A primary feature of the project required the removal of an outdated, two-level storage system, which also served as a structural support for the Vermont Danby white marble floor above. Crews shored up the existing T-sections and inserted a new tubular- steel structural system, which required the passing of steel sections
through a window during off hours. They also installed supplemental T-sections.
The team protected the map division’s original handmade Welsh terra-cotta tiles during the steel installation. It also carefully disassembled the carved American black walnut woodwork and reassembled it after completing the structural system.
Crews removed a faux-wood finish off the plaster-carved ceiling and restored the original gilt and glaze. They also cleaned a carved black walnut frieze; painted cast-iron shelving with a bronzing-powdered paint; and restored furnishings.
Needing a material lift to move items from the collection between the balcony and first floor, the design team chose a unit that required a shallow pit of a few inches in depth. The team covered the lift in new black walnut paneling so it would blend in with the historic attributes of the room.
The team also installed lights at the top of bookcases, restored the original chandeliers, and inserted high-power lights into the plaster ceiling above the reading tables.
Throughout construction, contractors used a negative air pressure system in the two rooms to extract noxious fumes from welding and wood restoration, passing the air through HEPA filters to the outdoors.
The installation of wireless data technology, infrared smoke beam detectors, and new mechanical and security systems were finishing touches that have helped bring the historic map division up to modern facility standards.
Key Players
Owner: New York Public Library
Architect: Davis Brody Bond
Construction Manager: F.J. Sciame Construction
Structural Engineer: Weidlinger Associates
M-E-P, Fire Protection Engineer: Collado Engineering
Stone and Bronze Restoration: Port Morris Tile & Marble
Architectural Woodwork: Bauerschmidt & Sons
Ornamental Metal: Excalibur Bronze
Design Consultant: Shen Milsom & Wilke; Newport Painting & Decorating; Fisher Marantz Stone; Spagnola & Associates
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