New York University (NYU) is the largest private university in the United States. Established on April 18, 1831 by Albert Gallatin, then Secretary of Treasury under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, NYU has grown from a student body of 158 to over 55,000 students across three main campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, as well as at satellite campuses in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. Today, NYU is one of New York City’s largest landlords with approximately 171 buildings located across roughly 230-acres bounded by Houston Street to the south, Broadway to the east, 14th street to the north, and Sixth Avenue to the west.
NYU’s landmark buildings at 404 Lafayette Street (left) and 708 Broadway (right) in Manhattan’s NoHo Historic District.
In 2014, NYU expanded its real estate holdings with the $157 million purchase of 708 Broadway and 404 Lafayette Street in the NoHo Historic District. NYU acquired the two properties, which are conjoined across higher floors, with plans to turn the 151,000 square foot space into a temporary athletic facility for students before being converted into NYU’s College of Global Public Health, which is expected to finish in the fall of 2019.
Skyline Restoration Inc. has played an integral part in the conversion of 708 Broadway and 404 Lafayette Street, both of which are landmark building constructed in 1914, working alongside Superstructures Engineers + Architects to perform extensive façade and roof restoration at both locations.
The existing ‘Head of Zeus’ (left) was removed from 708 Broadway’s façade, making way for a new terracotta statue (right) manufactured by Gladding McBean.
Beginning with 708 Broadway - standing 10 stories high - Skyline performed 8,200 SF of brick and terracotta stone reconstruction, as well as extensive masonry repointing. Skyline crews also repaired and replaced terracotta on the top three floors of the west elevation, which required tremendous collaboration with manufacturer, Gladding McBean, to ensure the product matched the existing aesthetic details and statues present on the façade. Furthermore, Skyline carried out corner and parapet replacement, steel lintel replacement and entire wall reconstruction at the north & east elevation of the 9th and 10th floors.
Window arch -before and after- façade restoration.
Simultaneously, Skyline completed 3,550 SF of masonry reconstruction, arch terracotta structural reinforcement and bulkhead replacement with a new Siplast roof system at 404 Lafayette Street, which stands 8 stories tall. In addition, crews replaced steel lintels, performed structural ceiling repairs, window-opening permanent shoring, basement ceiling patching, and interior negative-side waterproofing. Skyline crews also installed a free standing railing system on 404 Lafayette’s roof, where Skyline worked hand-in-hand with Kee Safety to design a system that is safe and compliant with the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).
Skyline undertook additional work at both locations, which includes asbestos abatement and slopped roof replacement utilizing a Kemper roofing system on both buildings’ 1st and 2nd floors.
Work was completed in April 2018.
Owner: New York University
Architect/Engineer: Superstructures Engineers + Architects
Contractor: Skyline Restoration Inc.
Account Executive: Bill Pierrakeas
Project Manager: Wilson Cajilima