Location: West Broadway and Chambers Street, New York, NY
Original Architect: Harding & Gooch
Date of Construction: 1896
Date of Restoration: 2019 – 2022
Scope of Work: Terra Cotta Restoration, Brick Masonry Repairs, Sheetmetal Cornice Repairs
Awards: Preservation Award (Victorian Society in America)
Originally known as the Gerken Building, 90 West Broadway was designed by Harding & Gooch and constructed in 1896. It is a 14-story loft building with street frontage along West Broadway and Chambers Street. The base of the building is composed of red brick and terra cotta with ornamental cast iron storefront infill, while the middle and upper portions are composed of beige brick with rich architectural terra cotta detailing, capped by an elaborate sheetmetal cornice with brick parapet above. The Gerken Building derives its name from developer Frederick Gerken and was previously the headquarters of the New York National Exchange Bank. Today, this classic loft building is a cooperative located in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan.
WBMA was tasked with addressing the conditions identified in the 8th Cycle FISP (formerly LL11) Report, including deteriorated terra cotta, brick masonry, and sheetmetal. Deteriorated terra cotta units were either repaired in-place or replaced in-kind. A mix of terra cotta and precast concrete was used selectively to mitigate costs, shorten production lead times, and blend seamlessly with adjacent existing units. Most of the terra cotta capitals at the windows were deemed to require replacement; many of the unique double-layer windowsills required replacement as well. A total of 26 units were replaced with terra cotta and 175 units were replaced with precast concrete.
An increased scope of repairs was found to be required at the sheetmetal cornice following paint removal. It was ultimately decided to replace all brackets with stock replicas. Steel repairs were undertaken at the supporting spandrel beams, and localized roofing repairs were performed adjacent to cornice roof drains. Facebrick probes revealed that the north parapet also warranted reconstruction. Partial corner reconstruction was undertaken at the southeast corner, which revealed the building’s interesting hybrid cast iron and steel frame skeleton.
The Gerken Building shareholders chose to go above and beyond what was required by the FISP-mandated repairs to undertake a project that will last far beyond the typical 5 year cycle. The building’s exterior restoration solidifies its status as a standout in Tribeca.
Photo credit: Nick Porter
Ana Felisa Viaña has worked on the preservation and restoration of historic buildings at WBMA since 2016. As a Senior Project Manager, she performs field surveys, produces construction drawings and project manuals, and during construction, conducts site meetings and inspections to see projects through to completion. Ana is adept at custom detailing and has experience with a board range of traditional materials. Award-winning projects she has worked on include the exterior and interior restoration of Columbia University’s St. Paul’s Chapel and Green-Wood Cemetery’s Historic Chapel, as well as the exterior restoration of 34 Gramercy Park East, the oldest operating residential co-op in NYC. Other current projects include the restoration of The Art Students League of New York and The Osborne. Ana is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University.
