New York Public Library Rose Reading Room
Perhaps the greatest masterpiece of Beaux-Arts style architecture in the United States, the New York Public Library was designed by Carrere & Hastings, and opened in 1911. It is one of the largest public library systems in the United States and one of the largest research library systems in the world. The Rose Reading Room is the key symbolic space of the library, about the size of a football field and comparable to the great European libraries.
After the restoration at the New York Public Library’s Rose Reading Room in 1999, EverGreene returned several years lager for another restoration project. This time, the work was instigated by a rosette falling from the ceiling in the middle of the night. Following this incident, the New York Public Library decided it was time to conduct a comprehensive plaster condition assessment and survey. The plasterwork included a historic finishes investigation and report, repairing all decorative plaster elements, and securing the iconic plaster rosettes. The full scope of EverGreene’s work comprised of:
- Replication of ceiling sky murals on canvas
- Consolidation and replication of missing and damaged ornament
- Cleaning of decorative painting, gilding and glazing
- Faux bois of beamed ceiling
- Restoration of Caen stone walls
