New York studio GRT Architects has uncovered and repaired the decorative facade of a tower in the city's Garment District, during the renovation of its entrance inside and out.
The Fashion Tower is a 23-storey art deco building by architect Emery Roth ? best known for residential towers in the city like the San Remo and the Beresford.

Located at 135 West 36th Street, in an area of Manhattan once synonymous with clothing design and manufacturing, the office tower had undergone earlier renovations that covered its ornate sandstone facade with layers of grey stucco.
"Motivated by the resurgence of the Fashion District and the building's unique history, the current owner asked GRT Architects to restore the facade of the tower's base while sensitively incorporating a contemporary lobby," said Brooklyn-based GRT Architects.
The firm used original drawings kept at Columbia University's Avery Library to guide the restoration of the facade.
To return it to its former glory, damaged decorative motifs surrounding the doorway were replicated and reinstalled. This pair of colourful terracotta panels display peacocks ? "symbols of apparel, elegance and style".

"These peacocks rejoin surviving ornament that include winged putti holding shears and draping fabric, and women admiring their reflections and clutching spindles," the architects said.
Stonework, cast-iron spandrels and window frames were also meticulously cleaned to reanimate the facade.

In the a...