Manhattan’s Surrogate’s Courthouse has one of the finest Beaux Arts interiors in New York City. The 1907 building was designed by John Rochester Thomas and was designated an interior landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1986. Its lavishly decorated entrances and marble-clad corridors culminate in a three-story atrium crowned by a glowing skylight that inspires a sense of awe. Over time, deferred maintenance, water infiltration, and temperature extremes had taken their toll on the impressive skylight, which had been obscured behind makeshift tarps to stop water leaks and nets to catch falling glass.

As consultants to Urbahn Architects, JBC assisted in the interior restoration of the skylight and adjacent finishes. We performed initial survey investigations of the leaded glass laylight panels, steel diffusing panels with hexagonal glass prisms, gilded bronze enclosures, and decoratively painted plaster. JBC conservators tested and selected cleaning materials, reviewed shop drawings and mockups, and supervised the refinishing of the bronze enclosures and the replication of faux marble decorative painting. New exterior glazing, copperwork, and a climate control system designed by others completed the restoration.