12 Henrietta Street

The decline of the Irish economy in the 19th century led to the deterioration of many houses which once boasted noble beginnings. It is reported that a horse once lived in Number 14. Recently, the Irish Georgian Society has strongly petitioned for the preservation of many such Dublin buildings, and thankfully 12 Henrietta is now in good hands, with an owner hellbent on restoring the house and safeguarding its glory...

Read more about the house here

A Small Hibernation

The main areas of the Rijksmuseum have been under extensive renovation and closed to the public for a decade. Reported to have cost over €300million, I am certain the much anticipated April-13 opening has the whole of Europe (let alone Amsterdam) atwitter...

Reading Room

Atrium

Read more here

Palazzo Orlandi

Built in the sixteenth century, the glorious Palazzo Orlandi in Prato (near Florence) has undergone a painstakingly thoughtful restoration. During the extensive rehabilitation by Sabrina Bignami, the main focus was to restore the house to its original bones (all additions made in the early 1900's were removed). Bignami also discovered that all the frescos on the first floor had been covered in white paint. Today, the 'noble floor' houses private quarters and a small, exclusive guesthouse...

Via here and here

5 Beekman

Apparently, the collective hearts of those in-the-know broke a little bit when hotelier Andre Balazs' deal to purchase decayed urban treasure 5 Beekman Street (just a block from City Hall) fell through early this year. But all are a twitter that a new joint venture partnership has purchased the building at a whopper of a price, and one of the partners is the owner of the Ace Hotel. Looks like all the finger crossing paid off...

 All photographs via here and ScoutingNY

The Plight of The Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital Complex

When I came across the photographs and write-up via The Kingston Lounge, I realized that the piece had been written in 2009. It became apparent that the historic and long-derelict structures had been on the verge of demolition on several occasions. According to a NYT article written in 2010...

Kristin Leahy, the cultural resources manager for the National Guard Bureau, the federal agency that controls the site, said engineers had found that the historic structures, particularly the timber shed, might be beyond repair. “We hired these engineers with tools to stabilize the buildings,” she said, “and that is when they came back and said we had a problem.” 


One proposal at a subsequent meeting last month was to deconstruct the building and then incorporate the salvaged pieces into a new structure. But Mr. Herrera of the Landmarks Conservancy said that deconstruction was another word for demolition.

The Navy disposed of NAVSTA Brooklyn in the late 1960's. Upon departure, they stabilized and abated the main hospital building and the Surgeon's Residence, both deemed New York City landmarks. New York City purchased the yard in 1967 but attempts to revitalize it failed until 2000, when the city began to invest in stabilizing its infrastructure. Currently, Steiner Studios - the largest film and television complex outside Hollywood - is the yard's largest tenant.

Most recent plans include a 74,000-square-feet grocery store, and the restoration of two buildings on Admiral’s Row — the timber shed built prior to the Civil War, and the oldest town house.

Undoubtedly, it is a fascinating place with roots deep in the Civil War, WW II and the ship-building industry. Read more about the redevelopment and hopeful further restoration here and here...

A map of the Hospital Annex during the Civil War

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

Naval Hospital

The Commandant's Residence - originally the Surgeon's Residence - with an elegant concave mansard roof, dates back to the Civil War. The original interior details are surprisingly in tact...

Photographs via here...

Our House at the end of our Street (V)

The entrance hall has seen it all. Funny stories abound about the house from all and sundry who have had the fortune (or misfortune) to make its acquaintance. One such story involved a tenant who, obviously in need of some quick cash, hooked up a hose pipe to the washing machines in the basement, fed the pipe through the window, and started his own make-shift car-wash on the corner. Nice! I am sure the previous owner was thrilled to receive the water bill. Indeed, when I first pressed my nose up against the glass panels of the front door, the first thing that struck me were the mirrors, followed, very quickly, by a shock of outlandish wallpaper. Trés bordello-chic. I had two choices. Get rid of the wallpaper. Or consider an alternative career as a Madame. Did Oscar Wilde not once proclaim, "Either that wall paper goes, or I do?" So all that remains today is one square meter, in homage to the original owner, a wallpaper merchant...

Note the hideous '70's closet built under the staircase.

The careful removal of the wallpaper, revealing that the plaster beneath was surprising in tact. Also, note the maroon carpet on the treads...

Post closet-removal, revealing another layer of wallpaper. Luckily the mosaic floor was more or less pristine after the demolition.

Removing the maroon carpet was a massive task. Especially getting all the giant nails up, removing the paint and goo, and then hand-sanding each tread and riser.

Pretty afternoon light reflection from the leaded glass fanlight above the front door...

The finished project (is it ever quite finished, though?)