180 Wellington Building—Private

Designed by renowned American mural artist Barry Faulkner and crafted by European artisans in 1927, the impressive Byzantine-style vaulted ceiling, is located in the main entrance lobby of the 180 Wellington Building in Ottawa. The Beaux-Arts buildings was designed by architects D. Evertt Waid and J.A. Ewart and built between 1925 and 1927. The mosaic features thousands of glass tesserae depicting scenes of wealth, well-being, and prosperity, which were intended to celebrate the building’s original occupant, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

As part of a comprehensive building restoration, Conservation Solutions was contracted to carry out work on the mosaic ceiling. This included an initial assessment to confirm conditions, treatment recommendations, and conservation treatment. Prior to the start of work, the previous and on going testing programs and stabilization efforts were reviewed. The conservators completed a comprehensive survey of the mosaic and provided a detailed treatment plan. Treatment involved removal of protective facing paper, cleaning, consolidation of loose or detached tesserae, and replacing missing glass tesserae and grout. Our team also provided the client with detailed documentation of the process as well as maintenance recommendations.