On this day in 1850, the cornerstone was laid for the Astor Library on Lafayette Street in Manhattan, which 115 years later would become a New York City Landmark and home to the Public Theater. SUPERSTRUCTURES performed a condition assessment of the building’s exterior envelope, stage rigging structural components, and interior plaster ceilings of its three performance spaces: the Martinson, LuEster and Anspacher theaters.

The NYC SCA, NYCHA, NYC DCAS, NYC DDC, NYC HHC, PANY&NJ, NYS OGS, DASNY, and US GSA. What do these abbreviations* all have in common? They’re all large agencies with multiple facilities, millions of square feet, and billions of dollars of value under their watch. And they’ve all entrusted SUPERSTRUCTURES for professional architecture and engineering services to restore and renew these assets.

Virtually all of SUPERSTRUCTURES’ award-winning preservation projects have involved terra cotta. We bring that experience to every piece of the material we assess and restore, whether on a landmarked building or not.

Something peculiar is happening to the buildings of the 1970s. They’re turning 50, as Docomomo recently reminded us. This milestone birthday for the designs of the decade gives them enough critical distance that their restoration worthiness is being reconsidered. Whether derided or embraced, 70s architecture is now undeniably historic. From the sleek Solow building to the chunky masonry of Lincoln Plaza Towers, SUPERSTRUCTURES has helped restore exemplars of 70s architecture in New York City and beyond.

In the latest seminar in our monthly continuing education series, Anthony Truppi of Keim Mineral Coatings presented “Mineral Silicate Paints and Stains for Masonry Facades.” His talk on February 12th explored the history, chemistry, and applications of mineral silicate finishes for about 100 clients and colleagues in our classroom.

Got steel elements in a facade that have seen better days? Or a sidewalk vault with corroded steel that concerns you? With years of experience with facade and vault restoration, SUPERSTRUCTURES can help by determining how firmly the rust has taken hold.

With apologies to the creators of the "got milk" campaign, we’re borrowing the concept to underscore Superstructures’ essential services for your building envelope and the common problems that can affect it.

The New York Times published another in a series of recent articles inspired by the convergence of two coincidental events: the imminent start of Cycle 9 of New York’s Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP or Local Law 11), and a tragic incident in which a facade failure caused a pedestrian death.

On this day in 1828, Frederick Clarke Withers was born in Somersetshire, UK. Withers immigrated to the US and became a prominent practitioner of Gothic Revival architecture. The Jefferson Market Courthouse—since converted to a branch of the New York Public Library—is one of Withers’ most celebrated designs and the subject of SUPERSTRUCTURES’ extensive restoration.

It’s official: the DOB has adopted an amended rule governing exterior wall inspections and repairs, strengthening the existing Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) but also making it significantly more complex.