[VIDEO] 131 Duane Street - Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award

The pristine restoration of this Italianate loft building in Tribeca shows meticulous work by a team of preservation professionals. They succeeded in a minimally invasive scope of work that repaired the facade and brought back its grand original appearance.

The building was completed in 1861-62 for merchant Thomas Hope. For a century, its tenants included printers, clothing and shoe companies, and restaurants. Artists began to take residency on the upper floors during the 1970s. Their use ensured the building would survive, but a series of patches and repairs left it in less-than-ideal condition.

Throughout this project, care was taken to research and test treatments, and document existing conditions at every stage. The first step was removing a failing and inappropriate coating. Exposed historic fabric was repaired or if unusable, became the model for replacement pieces. Delicate, hand-carved Tuckahoe marble elements required several different approaches. The cast-iron entry level was rebuilt and the wood windows were replaced in kind. When the wind-damaged cornice was removed, signage from the original building name was revealed and restored: 131 Duane is once again known as the Hope Building.