EverGreene is pleased to announce that three Brooklyn projects—Kings Theatre, Grace Church and St. Joseph’s CoCathedral—have been honored with Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.
In 2013, St. Joseph’s was elevated to CoCathedral status. To prepare for the 2014 rededication, EverGreene Architectural Arts restored historic finishes, conserved century-old murals and added new liturgical artwork—including the design and fabrication of 25 figurative and over 100 decorative murals —recognizing St. Joseph’s new status. The design of new decoration was guided by respect for the tradition of ecclesiastical visual arts to induce devotion and meditation, to communicate Catholic history, and to instruct theology.
At Kings Theatre, EverGreene artisans restored ornamental plaster, decorative paint, historic wood and metal finishes. The 1929 theatre was left abandoned for decades and had fallen victim to the damaging effects of time, flooding and vandalism. In 2013, The Kings Theatre Redevelopment Company (ACE Theatrical Group, the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, and the National Development Council) was chosen to revive the theatre as an economic engine and cultural hub. EverGreene worked with Gilbane Construction and Martinez + Johnson Architects to completely rehabilitate and restore Kings Theatre, returning the brilliance and majesty inherent in Kings’ wondrous design.
For the conservation and restoration of Grace Church, EverGreene conservators conducted a historic finishes investigation, uncovering designs that once adorned the walls and ceilings of the Brooklyn Heights church. It was determined that the historic decoration is based in part on designs found in Pugin’s “Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament.” To return the church back to its 1866 decorative scheme, layers of overpaint were removed from the ceiling before conservators inpainted areas where the design had been compromised. As an alternative to the full restoration of the 1866 campaign, the church and EverGreene’s studio artists struck a balance to incorporate historical elements that harmonize with the church’s architecture and current mission.