Manhattan Sentinels - NDA—Private
The Manhattan Sentinels 1993-1996 are a site-specific commissioned sculpture by Beverly Pepper situated in Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan, New York City. The piece was commissioned by the US General Services Administration’s Art in Architecture Program and was installed in its current location in 1996. The cast iron sculpture consists of four cast iron “totems” that rise up to 39 feet tall from the base.
In 2020 EverGreene was contracted by Volmar Construction, Inc. to conduct an assessment of the existing conditions of the Manhattan Sentinels 1993-1996. The objectives of the assessment include the accurate capture and documentation of the orientations of each sculptural element; to evaluate the pre-removal condition and identify potential risks during the relocation process; and to provide comprehensive contextual records of the deinstallation and reinstallation process that was planned to occur during restoration of the plaza. Accurate capture and documentation of extant orientation was achieved with a drone-mounted 3D scanner. The resulting point cloud was used to create AutoCAD drawings that establish reference points to be used in re-siting the sculpture at the time of reinstallation. Evaluation of pre-removal condition was conducted on-site from ground level followed by examination of high resolution orthophotos provided by the drone. Additionally, EverGreene supervised the removal of the sculptures from the site into their storage facility.
In 2023 EverGreene conservators performed cleaning treatments on the Manhattan Sentinels 1993-1996 in preparation for their reinstallation. The objectives of the cleaning was to remove surface level corrosion, remove rust scaling found on the flanges and interiors of each piece, and apply a protective anti corrosion inhibitor to both the interiors and flanges. Detailed cleaning was required in select locations with more tenacious soiling. Following cleaning, the sculptures were reinstalled on site with additional supervision being provided by EverGreene.
