The Sun Building
Location
New York, NY
Services
Materials
Stone
Cast Iron
Wood
Awards
2020 New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Award
280 Broadway, also known as the A.T. Stewart Dry Goods Store, the Marble Palace, and the Sun Building, is credited as the first department store in the country and was once home to the New York Sun newspaper. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and was designated a New York City Landmark in 1986.
As part of a $17.5 million restoration of the building’s Tuckahoe marble facades, JBC was retained by Urbahn Architects to assist with surveying existing conditions, sourcing replacement stone, and monitoring construction work. Every piece of marble on the facades was sounded and evaluated for deterioration. While the original Tuckahoe marble is no longer quarried, JBC located a similar stone and travelled to the quarry in Georgia to hand pick suitable blocks for Dutchmen repairs and replacement units—some of which weighed over 400 pounds. We also worked with the fabricator to select cuts that most closely matched the appearance of the original stone. Once restoration began, JBC provided construction administration services including supervision of the work and mock-up reviews. The project presented many unique challenges including phasing the work without interrupting street traffic or operations of the building’s tenants.
Project Scope
Conditions assessment of marble.
Cleaning tests, mortar analysis and replication mixes.
Replacement stone matching.
Restoration specifications for masonry and ornamental metal.
Review of submittals and shop drawings.
Review of mock-ups and construction supervision.
Exterior of 280 Broadway after restoration.
The iconic "Sun Shines for All" clock required a new steel support structure and localized repairs to some of the brass ornament.
Dutchman repairs and unit replacement adjacent to window pediment (image left).
Visiting the PolyCorp quarry in Canton, GA to select replacement stone blocks.
Cleaning tests on Tuckahoe marble.
Preparing deteriorated stone for composite patching.
Preparation for installation of new marble unit.
Crack repair by composite patching.
Replacement of deteriorated window surround stones (image right).
Replacement cast iron column ornament.
Replacement ornament (left) and original (right).