Providing Technical Expertise Edgar J Kaufmann Conference Center, Manhattan
Government agencies, nonprofits, and building owners call upon our Technical Services staff for expert guidance on restoration projects, preservation easements, and advisory committees. Project Guidance Renwick Ruins, Roosevelt Island, Manhattan <strong>The</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> has been monitoring the progress of the stabilization and restoration of the Renwick-designed Smallpox Hospital ruins sited at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. <strong>The</strong> goal is to stabilize the structure as a picturesque ruin so that it may eventually form the centerpiece of a new public park that will fill the southern tip of the island. Many of the building’s teetering stones were removed, numbered, and stored on site. Other features, including the beautiful Gothic-revival oriel windows, have been dismantled and will be reassembled. In order to brace the walls, steel piers will be installed inside the building and cables will ensure that the walls remain in place. Edgar J Kaufmann Conference Center, Manhattan After several months of detective work, technical staff has tracked down the specific type and color of carpeting originally specified by Alvar and Alisa Aalto for the suite of rooms known as the “Aalto Rooms” – or, more accurately, the Kaufmann Conference Center at the Institute of International Education (IIE). <strong>The</strong> original textile was a 100 percent wool carpet composed of three different earth tones woven in a random pattern to produce a speckled effect. It also featured an egg-shaped cutout section that could be unzipped and removed when the occasion called for a dance floor to be moved in. In late October, the IIE received our report and a sample of the textile, which was custom-woven by the same North Carolina mill that produced the original. Several years ago, the <strong>Conservancy</strong> oversaw the restoration of the center’s suite of rooms, including repair and repainting of the plaster walls and undulating ceiling, gentle cleaning of the woodwork paneling trim and sculptural elements, as well as the replacement of its very tall curtains with a custom-made reproduction of the original textile, which we also traced back to the original manufacturer. Picasso Curtain, Four Seasons Restaurant, Manhattan <strong>The</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> retained a team of fabric and paint conservators to inspect and clean a theater curtain painted by Pablo Picasso in 1911, which now hangs in the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building. This gorgeous piece was donated to the <strong>Conservancy</strong> in 2006 with the stipulation that it not be moved from its current location and that the <strong>Conservancy</strong> oversee its care and maintenance. We arranged to have art and fabric conservators inspect and clean the artwork over the course of two weekends in late August. <strong>The</strong> results of the gentle cleaning of the textile are noticeable, and today the artwork looks brighter and crisper. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> received a full conservation report from the team in late September. <strong>The</strong> painted curtain, though fragile, shows no signs of ongoing deterioration and was found to be in stable condition. 8