Sidewalk sheds provide necessary protections for pedestrians but, like pop flies and Skylab, they eventually come down. Eventually may be the operative word here. Take, for example, the shed that’s being dismantled after 11 years (!) as a fixture of 280 Broadway. The National Historic Landmark building goes by many names: the A.T. Stewart Store, the Marble Palace, and the Sun Building. But for over a decade, you could add “the Perpetual Shed building” to the list.

In 2014, SUPERSTRUCTURES conducted an investigation of the building’s exterior to identify a long list of cracks, spalling, and SWARMP conditions in the brick, cast iron, and Tuckahoe marble facade, providing a roadmap for the recently completed, $17.8 million restoration. We’re proud to have played a part in the process that made it possible to begin removing the building’s intrusive (but necessary) shed.

Now that some of the temporary protection is down (the Chambers Street section, with the rest soon to follow), visitors to the Civic Center area can once again enjoy the Italianate splendor of this historic building. Fans of its Sun clock, however, will have to wait a little longer, as a portion of the shed will remain until work is completed on the iconic timepiece.