In its 87 years, Verizon’s world headquarters and call-processing building at 140 West Street in Lower Manhattan has seen it all. From power outages, to earthquakes, to terrorist attacks, the building has absorbed many hits, yet has come out a shining star, reflecting Verizon’s resiliency. The building was named a New York City landmark in 1991.
The latest episode to affect the structure was Hurricane Sandy, which took a toll on the infrastructure of Lower Manhattan and several other areas. The superstorm resulted in major flooding in the building’s five sub-basement levels and its ornate Art Deco lobby.
After the building was restored and put back into service, attention turned to the lobby’s ceiling mural, which depicts the history of communications. Between the water, the muck, fluctuations in temperature, and the hundreds of employees who tramped through the lobby, the ceiling mural needed some tender loving care.
Earlier this year, employees from Verizon and EverGreene Architectural Arts, a New York-based restoration and conservation firm, have been meticulously and painstakingly restoring the murals. EverGreene also assisted us with the restoration work done after the 9/11 attacks.
A team of decorative painters, curators and conservators hand-painted the murals and applied new gilding to the chandeliers to restore them to their original beauty.
The murals’ restoration has also been featured in a recent New York Times article.
While it’s not quite the Sistine Chapel, it’s a work of art that we feel proud to maintain.
