GSMT - Understanding the History of the R. Guastavino Company with Raymond Pepi and Laura Buchner

In this lecture Raymond Pepi, President and Founder, along with Laura Buchner, Senior Conservator, of Building Conservation Associates (BCA) discuss BCA’s restoration efforts at St. John the Divine over the past 25 years.

They will provide insight into the challenges of conserving these types of vaults with its unique construction technique that uses thin tiles assembled in layers with fast-drying mortar to create monolithic assemblies.

The timbrel vault system, with its various finishes, including glazed ceramic tile, Rumford tile, and Akoustolith tile, will be shown using examples at the Cathedral and other buildings in New York City to demonstrate how this innovative company brought together form, function, and beauty all while advancing the technology of building construction.

Rafael Guastavino was an exceptionally talented architect who integrated centuries-old construction techniques into modern architecture. His work, in particular his expressive vaulted spaces and his modernization of the traditional tile system, left his innovative personal stamp on architecture.

His company, R. Guastavino Co. founded in 1888, contributed to the construction of more than 1,000 significant buildings in the United States. The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City is unique amongst these, as it was constructed in multiple phases over a period of nearly 50 years, spanning approximately two-thirds of the period that R. Guastavino Co. was in operation.

Because different architects, with varying aesthetics and ideologies, designed distinct portions of the Cathedral, it contains a variety of vault types and finishes. This single structure therefore displays the breadth of the company’s work.

Raymond Pepi is the President and Founder of Building Conservation Associates, Inc. BCA has been in practice since 1985, and over the firm’s 37 years, it has become renowned for architectural conservation and preservation planning and applying historic research and forensic analysis to design the restoration of some of the world’s most important buildings.

Laura Buchner is a Senior Conservator at BCA and has been at the firm for 17 years. Laura has served at Project Manager at St. John the Divine for the past 10 years and has been involved in the restoration of the Guastavino vaults at several other sites, including the Grand Central Terminal Oyster Bar and Whispering Gallery and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Ms. Buchner has spoken at several conferences and has written multiple articles for the APT Bulletin, including, “Restoration of Akoustolith Tile at Saint John the Divine, New York City.” She is the 2022 FAIC Samuel H. Kress Conservation Publication Fellow and is currently writing a book manuscript about the history, fabrication, and preservation of dalle de verre.

For more information on Building Conservation Associates, please visit:
http://www.bcausa.com/

Видео GSMT - Understanding the History of the R. Guastavino Company with Raymond Pepi and Laura Buchner канала The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen