Location: First and Second Avenues between 30th & 33rd Streets, Manhattan, NYC

Landmark Status: SoHo Cast Iron Historic District

Owner: Kips Bay Towers Condominium

Date of Construction: 1960-1965

Date of Restoration: 2002-2006

Kips Bay Towers, situated on a large three-block site in midtown Manhattan, consists of a pair of 21-story cast-inplace concrete residential towers. Designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei in the late 1950’s and originally known as Kips Bay Plaza, it is one of New York City’s first exposed concrete apartment buildings.

In 2002, Walter B. Melvin Architects, LLC performed a conditions survey of all exterior surfaces. Each facade of the towers was inspected from suspended scaffolding, and a comprehensive long-term plan was developed for the buildings. Two years later, a detailed specification was prepared to address the areas requiring restoration.

The repairs completed as part of this project included the restoration of spalled concrete on the columns and spandrel beams caused by rusting steel reinforcement, and the replacement of almost 1,000 precast concrete sills. When reinforcing steel was exposed, it was thoroughly cleaned, coated, and reconfigured when necessary.

Tinted concrete restoration mortars were specified in six different colors, and pigmented to match the various weathered concreted surfaces ranging from buff to dark gray. Much care was taken to match the concrete color and retain original detailing at this architecturally and technologically significant building.