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More of Morningside Heights' original charm will soon resurface following a block-wide storefront renovation project that will restore the original street-level façade of two historic Broadway buildings between 113th and 114th Streets. Columbia is working in partnership with storeowners to complete the block-long project this fall.
This most recent project comes on the heels of a successful series of storefront renovation projects that have helped to transform Broadway from a modern-day thoroughfare into a lively focal point for the neighborhood. Renovated storefronts include those at Nussbaum and Wu, Nacho Mamas, Le Monde and Deluxe at Broadway and 113th. The recaptured architectural elements range from restoring original cast iron columns at Le Monde to replacing a copper cornice, similar to the original that once lined the McBain building at 113th and Broadway.
"Our goal is to renovate within the area in a way that allows the original architecture of the buildings to express itself," said Bill Scott, deputy vice president of Institutional Real Estate, whose office is responsible for many restoration projects throughout Morningside Heights. "With this streetscape project, we are replacing the modern clutter of different colored awnings and store front styles with a uniform design reminiscent of the original."
Ten business storefronts, from Crosstown Sports to Papyrus Books, extending down the west side of Broadway from 113th to 114th Streets will be renovated. The project will also include the restoration of two building facades on the block. One of which is the Forrest Chambers building at 601 W. 113th Street designed by innovative turn-of-the-century architectural team Blum and Blum, which spans most of the block.
Unlike previous storefront projects that involved the installation of an updated storefront, new paint and new awnings, this project's challenge has been the repair of the original stonework that has endured almost a century of changing streetscape styles.
As the façade was stripped to prepare for the project, it became clear that the addition and removal and in some cases layering of foreign materials and paint over the years had so damaged the original stonework that large-scale stone restoration and even replacement was necessary. Workers will remove the damaged original stonework and replace it with new stone at the ground level façade of the Forrest Chambers starting from the south and working north. Because of the scale of the restoration work, the project has been delayed. "Replacing an old stone block from this building is like replacing a tooth," said Scott. "The stone must be exactly measured before it is removed and each replacement must be custom ordered."
According to Scott, the extent of the preservation work needed to repair the façade was neither anticipated nor a surprise. "Buildings are never what you expect them to be," said Scott, who has overseen a number of historic renovation projects in the area. "Every time you open them up, you find the unexpected. It is like an antique puzzle that has to be pieced back together, sometimes with modern parts."
Scott noted that throughout construction, every effort will be made to keep businesses open to the public and minimize disruption.
At project's end, the original storefront design of the Forrest Chambers, five13-foot storefront bays linked by stone pillars, will be restored and the storefronts will be champagne colored. Mondel's storefront, housed in a building extension added later, will be black. Papyrus, which is housed in a separate building, will have a distinct design reminiscent of the original, with four cast iron columns supporting the storefront. Only one column has been recovered since the project began, but project managers believe that four cast-iron columns originally flanked the storefront. These will be reconstructed based on the original.
"A historical resurrection of this kind costs more to do, but Columbia University has a true commitment to the renovation of its historical buildings," said Roz Li of Li Saltzman Architects, who oversaw the project design. "When this project is complete, it will really make a difference to the streetscape."
Andrew S. Dolkart, the architectural historian and authority on Morningside Heights said: "The fact that an effort is being made to return the base of the building to a beautiful state is terrific. Bill Scott and his staff have already done a fantastic job working with architects to improve several Broadway storefronts, such as Le Monde, and I am sure that this one will also be a great improvement over the present bleak condition." Dolkart, a member of the faculty of the School of Architecture, said the upper facades of the Forest Chambers and the building's cornice were stripped years ago because of disrepair and therefore cannot be restored, but the current project will be a notable asset to the community.
The Broadway streetscape project is just one of many of Columbia's restoration projects in University-owned buildings that have resurrected the original colors and designs of Morningside Heights over a decade. Columbia has a policy of careful restoration, construction, and preservation in the Morningside Heights community and on campus, as described by the conceptual guide, "Columbia University in Morningside Heights: A Framework for Planning." Through the in-depth review of campus and community by architects, historians, preservationists and administrators, the guide provides recommendations for preservation, guidelines that have been established by the University. As noted in the Framework, the vision for the next century is grounded in the past.
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