Masonry Magazine August 1983 Page. 6
AGELESS TERRA COTTA
polyester mask %" thick to cover holes and topical damage. The mask was fit over the muzzle of each head and, with the tusk, formed a single unit for installation by the masonry craftsmen, who grouted and sanded around each face to achieve a smooth finish.
Bedecked with somewhat less ornamental animality is one of the most famous terra cotta skycrapers-the Prudential (originally Guaranty) Building in Buffalo, N.Y., designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler and completed in 1896. This 13-story architectural landmark is currently undergoing a $12.4 million restoration, with restoration design by Cannon Design Inc. and masonry craftsmanship by members of BAC Local 45, Buffalo. In addition to cleaning, repair and restoration of the exterior terra cotta, new marble mosaic floors are being installed in the interior.
When skyscrapers such as the Guaranty Building first began to appear through the innovations of Louis Sullivan and other architects, little was known about the movement and expansion of buildings and materials. Thus, on the steel frame structure clad with terra cotta, features such as expansion joints were not included. This facilitated cracking of the terra cotta units and subsequent entry of water.
Better Than New
Cracking of the terra cotta which was hung on the steel frames was one of the problems which beset a highrise in Washington, D.C., originally known as the Real Estate Trust Building and now called the Landmark Building in its restored version. Completed in 1914, this 12-story structure was recently renovated under the direction of EGS Mason Contractors, who employed bricklayers from BAC Local 6, Washington, D.C., for the terra cotta work. In addition, new marble facing on the first two stories was installed by members of BAC Local 2. Washington, D.C. The restoration of Real Estate Trust was carried out methodically, beginning with an overall survey. Initially, each terra cotta unit was lightly tapped with a hammer to determine whether or not it was loose. According to Eric Sieling, president of EGS, "In many places it was possible to repair and secure the existing terra cotta with mortar, epoxy and stainless steel dowels, and paint was used for touch-ups. However, approximately 325 terra cotta pieces were too damaged to be saved and had to be replaced. The building was 100% repointed and thoroughly cleaned."
The terra cotta for the Real Estate Trust Building was manufactured by Atlantic Terra Cotta, a company no longer in existence. In fact, the sole U.S. terra cotta manufacturer producing the material for both new buildings and restorations is Gladding, McBean & Co. of Lincoln, Calif., a firm founded in 1875.
One of the company's more notable projects involved the production of more than 12,000 terra cotta units, in 1976, for the 10-story addition to the historic Hotel Utah in Salt Lake City (Masonry, March, 1977). Some of these units, such as the lion heads and festoons, weighed between 400 and 500 pounds. The mason contractor for the project, Earl S. Child Masonry of Springville, Utah, called the work the "biggest challenge I've ever had in the masonry business."
Up one floor and starting at the second level are visible the steel structure as well as the backup and rebars used in the Hotel Utah construction.
The original section of the hotel was constructed in 1910 and was considered then, as it is today, a Salt Lake City landmark with its gleaming white terra cotta facade, of delicately molded, handmade figures and details. The new addition is practically a carbon copy of the original section-thanks to the skills of Child's masonry craftsmen and the artisans at Gladding, McBean, which had produced the original terra cotta ornamentation some 66 years earlier and still had the old shop drawings in its archives.
Since the completion of new construction and restoration work on the Hotel Utah, Earl Child has helped to restore the old state capitol in Carson City, Nev., as well as other prominent terra cotta structures throughout the