Current Projects
Graciano is currently at work on a wide array of projects. Our assignments include:
Apollo Theater
The starting stage for many of the music world’s most recognized performers, the Apollo Theater was built in Harlem in 1914. Situated on a one-block site between 125th and 126th streets, the eight-story complex has been granted national, state and city landmark status, and is undergoing a series of renovation and restoration projects.
Graciano has rebuilt brick parapets surrounding the building’s roof surfaces to ensure continued compliance with local Law 11, which requires regular inspections and repairs on buildings more than five stories in height. Graciano’s work also included replacement of terra cotta copings that cap the top of the parapet walls. The project began in 2009 and was completed in November of 2010. View All Projects »
New York City Center
The New York City Center was built in 1923 as a meeting hall for the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Years later, the building came under the ownership of the City of New York and was converted into the first performing arts center in Manhattan. The building, which maintains landmark status, features a 13-story Moorish façade and houses a 2,750-theater.
Graciano has been tasked with rebuilding and repairing the building’s parapets, and evaluating the condition of the structure’s terra cotta cornices. The parapet work, which ensures compliance with local Law 11, began in August of 2010, and is scheduled for completion in August of 2011. When complete, 90% of the buildings parapets will have been rebuilt. View All Projects »
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA)
Beneath the streets of older cities it’s common to find intricate networks of aging sewers, many of which are built of brick. Recently, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA), the authority that oversees wastewater operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, called on Graciano to help stabilize several sewers with two inches of shotcrete. Ranging in size from 46 inches to 10 feet in diameter, these pipes are located 20 to 40 feet below street level in various parts of the city.
After determining the chambers were not in danger of collapse, teams from Graciano removed any loose bricks and inserted steel rods in the ceilings and walls to ensure stability. They then installed galvanized metal mesh around the tunnels to hold the concrete in place as it was sprayed onto the walls of the pipes. Before any shotcrete could be installed Graciano crews spent significant time removing debris from sewer passageways, diverting water and sandbagging work areas. The project began in 2009 and was completed in 2010. View All Projects »
Waldorf=Astoria
Designated a landmark by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Trust Historic Hotels of America division, the Waldorf=Astoria continues to build on its enduring reputation as Manhattan’s first “grand hotel.” Owned by Hilton Hotels, the building is an elegant example of Art Deco architecture and is located in a prime midtown location. Waldorf=Astoria management oversaw a comprehensive interior renovation in 1999 and has focused on exterior restorations for much of the last decade. Aside from maintaining the hotel’s historic structure, much of the restoration work ensures continued compliance with local Law 11, an ordinance that requires periodic inspections and repairs on buildings more than five stories tall.
Graciano’s current restoration work on the 42-story landmark will include rebuilding sections of the structure’s parapets and replacement of deteriorated stone elements, such as lintels, sills and decorative carvings. Damaged brickwork at the corners of the building will be replaced with custom-matched bricks, and stone features will be restored with materials selected to integrate seamlessly with the colors, textures and appearances of the building’s original architectural details. Work on the Waldorf=Astoria project commenced in April of 2009 and is scheduled for completion in June of 2011. View All Projects »