Lucy Moses Awards – Helmsley Building | Restoration by Boston Valley

After a two year hiatus, the New York Landmarks Conservancy held their 32nd Lucy G.Moses Preservation Awards on April 20th, in person at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Each year the Conservancy honors a number of building owners, developers, preservation architects, general contractors, façade engineers, installation specialists, and manufacturers related to the trade for outstanding work in preservation within NYC. Several Boston Valley Terra Cotta projects have been the recipient of such honors in the past.

This year, Boston Valley project the Helmsley Building received one of the coveted Lucy Moses Awards. Completed in 1929, Warren and Wetmore’s Helmsley Building is the sky-scraping counterpart to Grand Central Terminal. The 34-story structure – with its twin portals, giant clock, and ornate crown – is the focal point of Park Avenue’s stunning vista.

The Boston Valley team used cutting-edge technology and traditional fabrication methods to secure and restore a series of distinct terra cotta elements that define the façade. 32 freestanding, three-story colossal columns at the 29th floor were repaired, to address corroded structural elements and large-scale terra cotta cracking.

Once repaired, the historic character of the Helmsley Building was maintained with new glazing that blends into the existing buff terra cotta.