At SUPERSTRUCTURES, we’ve aligned our practice with Wright’s philosophy on style. We honor the distinctive “style” of the facade of each building we restore, from public housing complexes to National Historic Landmarks.

Our practice is focused on restoring buildings’ “skin” and “skeleton”—the exterior envelope and underlying structure. But sometimes our work takes us inside the envelope. One example is our restoration of an interior mural at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Intermediate School (I.S. 131).

Through our work on landmarks like the David Dinkins Municipal building, we’re afforded amazing views of the city—vistas that more New Yorkers should experience. Mayor Mamdani agrees, announcing the city’s decision to reopen the rooftop observation deck of the McKim, Mead & White 1914 masterpiece.

What does building restoration have in common with Hollywood? More than you might think. In both, teams assemble according to a project’s unique goals and requirements, work together for the duration of the project, and then disperse. In both cases, the whole team may never physically meet, and no individual has sufficient knowledge or capacity to accomplish the task alone.

SUPERSTRUCTURES is excited to continue this ninth season of the Frost Jacking Day Tracker. "Frost jacking" is what happens when freezing temperatures cause rain or snow to turn to ice and expand cracks in a facade. As cycles of freezing and thawing accumulate, the cracks continue to grow and exterior hazardous conditions or interior water damage or leaks can occur.

New York has been in the grip of a sub-freezing cold spell that works against the city’s Get Sheds Down initiative. That’s because winter weather contributes to a facade-damaging phenomenon known as “frost jacking.” But continuous cold spells aren’t solely responsible for this phenomenon. Frost jacking is driven by ongoing cycles of freezing and thawing.

As part of NYC’s Get Sheds Down initiative (commencing Monday, January 26) the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) will implement changes that directly impact how sidewalk shed permits are issued, renewed, and tracked. Conveniently, SUPERSTRUCTURES’ mission has always been to get sidewalk sheds down as soon as possible. That’s why we advocate “Fix, Then File.”

This absurd video is funny—as long as nothing close to it happens, and you’re not a contractor, consultant, or client involved. It’s also a cautionary tale. We believe in drawing every construction detail to avoid misunderstandings that can come with over reliance on written specifications. But that doesn’t take the place of other measures that help ensure a project is executed to plan.

This week, we’re looking back over 20 years to when SUPERSTRUCTURES worked on one of the city’s most iconic destinations: Grand Central Terminal.

The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, known for their iconic kick line, are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. The anniversary is a reminder that 100 years is not that long ago in the scheme of things. In fact, many SUPERSTRUCTURES assignments are for buildings that are approaching 100 years old.