160 East 72nd Street

+ LOCATION
160 East 72nd Street, New York, NY

+ TYPE
Restoration

Historic photo by Samuel H. Gottscho from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York

At 160 East 72nd Street, a beautiful 14-story building located in the Upper East Side Historic District, our team was tasked with addressing several issues outlined in the FISP SWARMP report. The building, constructed in the late 1920s with solid brick wall construction and a steel frame, features a stunning street façade adorned with decorative brickwork, terra cotta Juliet balconies, terra cotta window surrounds at select floors, and decorative stone work at the first-floor level. 

Our project scope included localized terra cotta patching at the street façade and masonry and spandrel repairs at other non-primary facades. The original dark green marble columns, which had significantly faded due to time and weather, were replaced with new dark green marble sourced from Greece. The original columns were in a state of severe deterioration, exhibiting cracks and "sugaring," a condition where marble crumbles upon touch. It's worth noting that these columns are non-structural and are affixed to the terracotta capital and base.

Additionally, we replaced the main roof and Penthouse terrace with new custom pavers laid out in a running bond pattern to create an even and attractive walking surface. To accommodate the new energy-efficient roofing assembly and insulation, we raised door sills, parapets, and stub parapets. We also installed new picket railings at all stub parapets to match the existing landmarked railing. Finally, with the approval of the Landmark Commission, we installed a new glass railing at one parapet to provide an unobstructed view of the City skyline. Our team took great care to ensure that our work matched the existing building's aesthetic, preserving its historic charm.