This
160-unit residential co-op, constructed in 1961 in New York City’s
Upper East Side neighborhood, was an early example of the white-glazed
brick buildings that came to characterize the area’s development
projects of that era. The original building design prioritized
comfortable units with large, spacious rooms in keeping with the upscale
neighborhood. But the economy of means also dictated a purely
functional design of the façade.
As the building aged, façade
safety inspections required by New York City’s Building Code uncovered
structural and masonry failures that required repairs at significant
cost and inconvenience to the building’s residents. Façade probes showed
that the exterior had no insulation at all—and that in addition to the
failing glazed face-brick, the back-up masonry had been poorly
installed. In short, the façade was failing.