Flatiron Building

The historic Flatiron Building, an architectural icon in New York City, underwent a meticulous façade restoration led by HLZAE. The project involved the installation of full-height pipe scaffolding and suspended scaffolding on all facades, allowing the building to be divided into a grid of 400 individual 12’x30’ sections. This grid system enabled HLZAE’s team of 15 experts, spanning architectural, structural, and special inspection divisions, to conduct comprehensive, up-close inspections of the entire façade. The detailed assessment revealed previously unseen issues that could not be identified through prior rope access or street-level inspections. To facilitate real-time coordination, HLZAE collaborated closely with the general contractor, AWR Group, Inc., and terracotta vendor, Gladding, McBean, by establishing an on-site field office.

One of the project’s primary challenges was maintaining the historical integrity of the Flatiron Building, particularly its terracotta ornamentation. Unlike typical façade restorations, where substitute materials like GFRC or fiberglass are often used above the 6th floor, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) required all terracotta units on the Flatiron to be replaced in-kind due to its architectural significance. With over 7,155 work “tags” identified, the project called for the replacement of nearly 2,000 terracotta units, repointing of 20,000 linear feet of masonry joints, and 1,000 linear feet of crack repair. This process required the hand-pressing, glazing, and kiln firing of terracotta units, a complex and time-consuming task that could take up to 18 months due to industry backlogs. Additionally, HLZAE conducted a thorough inspection of the building’s 6-foot-tall, 467-foot-wide cornice, consisting of over 2,500 terracotta stones. After selective removals and review, further repairs to the cornice’s structural backup system were implemented to ensure long-term stability.