2nd Place, Exterior
Founded in 1865, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, N.Y., is renowned for its collection of modern and contemporary art. The campus includes the original 1905 neo-classical Robert and Elisabeth Wilmers Building, designed by Edward B. Green; the 1962 Modern addition design by Gordon Bunshaft of SOM; and the recently completed Gundlach Building, designed by OMA and Cooper Robertson. The three buildings, all located within the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Delaware Park, form an impressive assemblage of iconic architectural structures designed by leading architects of their time. The academy’s leadership recently embarked on an ambitious $230 million expansion project, which included a new addition and restoration and refurbishment of its campus.
Overall view of completed restoration. 
Arial view of building post restoration. 
After the restoration. 
Detail view of column post restoration. 
Detail view of roof post restoration. 
BEFORE: Facade prior to restoration. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
DURING: Construction in progress. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
BEFORE: Roof prior to restoration. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
DURING: Roof during construction. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
DURING: Roof during construction. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
DURING: Cornice repairs. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
DURING: Adding slope to gutter. PHOTO: Thornton Tomasetti 
Site plan for AKG historic renovation. DRAWING: Thornton Tomasetti 
Building diagram for AKG historic renovation. DRAWING: Thornton Tomasetti
PHOTOS: Alexander Severin unless otherwise noted
The Wilmers building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, along with its 1962 addition, presented Thornton Tomasetti unique challenges and opportunities for preservation and innovation. The façades are constructed of Cockeysville (Beaver Dam) marble and are defined by 102 monolithic columns carved from a single piece of stone. The building’s original geometry and massing is largely intact, which is a testament to the original design.
Thornton Tomasetti completed a condition assessment for the Wilmers building, which provided the extent of deterioration, as well as insight for planning the scope, budgeting and phasing of repairs.
The existing roofing included areas of 117-year-old sheet copper roofing and large areas of black single-ply membranes added in the 1990s. Both systems were evaluated to be at the end of their service lives. The façade evaluation found several cornice stones at the roof had rotated outward and numerous belt-course stones at the façade base were displaced.
Historic document research revealed an air space within the load-bearing exterior walls. Ground-penetrating radar and thermal imaging verified the existence of the air space. Samples were sent to a testing lab to evaluate material properties, which found the marble was highly resistant to freeze-thaw conditions and the brick masonry failed because of mechanical weathering. Water infiltration from the concealed gutter led to deterioration of the cornice bed joint and the backup masonry of the belt-course stones, causing the belt-course stones to displace laterally.
The masonry restoration required removing and resetting more than 20 percent of the belt-course stones. Other repairs included localized repointing of mortar joints, stone patching and crack injection of stones, replacement of the marble hemicycle stairs and resetting of original granite pavers. The cornice stones were found to have a center of gravity beyond the face of the façade wall and were reset with anchors.
The 115-year-old copper crest that wraps the top of the façade wall was dismantled, labeled, restored off-site and reinstalled. Cresting that was too deteriorated to be salvaged was replicated in new copper. The existing sheet copper roof was overcoated and custom tinted to match the color of the historic copper roof. Areas of black roofing were replaced with the same liquid membrane to reestablish the original aesthetic intent of a copper roof.
Preservation of iconic historic structures, like this, are important in that it serves to reinforce the vitality of our urban centers, as well as tell a story.
Kenneth DeMuth, AIA, partner, Pappageorge Haymes Partners
Retrofit Team
Historic Preservation Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Owner: Buffalo AKG Art Museum
General Contractor: Gilbane Building Company
Masonry Restoration: Morris Masonry Restoration LLC
Roofing: Weaver Metal & Roofing
Construction Manager: ARC Building Partners
Materials
Sheet Copper: Revere
Granite and Marble: S.B.Z & Galle Stone Inc.
Liquid Waterproofing: Kemper System
Stone Patches: Cathedral Stone Products Inc. and Edison Coatings Inc.
Replacement Bricks: Glen-Gery
Sealants: Dow
Cover Boards: USG
Drains: Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.
Terra-cotta Book Tiles: Boston Valley Terra Cotta
