Central Construction Management LLC is proceeding on the next stage of a far-reaching, multimillion-dollar restoration project with the installation of 1,000 pieces of bespoke decorative terra cotta along the entire façade of 26 Court St., a 298,000-square-foot, 29-story office tower built in Brooklyn Heights, New York in 1927. The façade work follows the completion of the landmark building’s approximately 10,000-square-foot mansard roof requiring the installation of 10,000 pieces of copper, die-cast to match the original design.
The complex project, anticipated for completion in late 2024, exceeds Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) façade rules and standards, which require only the first seven floors be replaced with actual terra cotta. Instead, the Central Construction team will install the time-honored, natural materials on all 29 floors. Regarding the roof restoration, LPC required the installation of copper tiles mirroring the original ones used nearly a century ago on the entire roof.
“Ownership and management have gone above and beyond to ensure 26 Court benefits from a premium restoration that utilizes the finest materials available, all of which are American made,” said Michael DiFonzo, president of Central Construction Management. “Using organic terra cotta above the seventh floor, as opposed to fiberglass, adds at least 30% to project costs. It also reflects a committed ownership, and we are honored to be the firm chosen to implement this multi-faceted project.”
Representing the building’s ownership was Joseph Schachter of JPS Management Corp. Kamen Tall Architects was responsible for the design plans. Central Construction Management prepared the molds for the terracotta installation, which were sourced and fabricated by Gladding, McBean, a 150-year-old company based in Sacramento, California. The copper roofing tiles were cast locally by CW Metals in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
