180 East End Avenue

Gracie Towers is a 22-story brick residential building constructed in the late 1950s. Designed with a cavity curtain wall and a concrete-framed structure, the building features projecting balconies at each exterior corner from the 2nd floor and above. Spanning from East 88th and East 89th Street along East End Avenue, it sits directly across from Gracie Mansion. Despite being a single structure, the North and South Towers are only connected at the cellar and roof levels. The building includes a large rooftop swimming pool with a public deck, community facilities, and mechanical spaces. Our renovation of Gracie Towers addressed both exterior and interior upgrades in two phases. 

Phase I involved significant localized structural upgrades, including the replacement of 60-65% of shelf angles and repairs to the associated masonry and flashing systems. Roof and terrace parapets were fully replaced, including the installation of new metal augmentation rails at the main roof and safety rails at the terraces. The project also encompassed localized brick panel rebuilding, window and door sealant replacement, and the installation of a new roof deck system with accent lighting. The Board also requested removing the deteriorated quarry tile deck surface on the main roof and installing a warrantable roof recovery system to extend the roof’s lifespan by 20 years. 

Phase II involved the renovation of the rooftop bulkheads, which serve as ADA-compliant community spaces supporting the rooftop swimming pool. The North bulkhead was redesigned to house men’s and women’s changing rooms, while the South bulkhead features a kitchen, bar, and lounge area. Ensuring ADA compliance in these spaces required creative solutions, particularly in the changing rooms, where space constraints posed challenges for sink clearances, grab bar placements, and accessibility at roof access doors and thresholds.