Preservation Buffalo Niagara is recognizing outstanding preservation projects and those contributing to preservation efforts at its annual awards ceremony May 30, 11:30 AM in the Statler’s Golden Ballroom. Award categories were established to acknowledge distinguished contributions to our community through preservation activity. Recipients will be recognized in several areas including: preservation craft; rehabilitation/adaptive use; stewardship; neighborhood conservation; planning/reconstruction; and preservation journalism. Buffalo Rising will profile this year’s winners leading up to the May event.
Buffalo Plastering and Architectural Casting is being recognized in the preservation craft category.
Gary Bolles and Leo Lysy of Buffalo Plastering and Architectural Casting have worked on many historically significant projects in the region and have been profiled on Buffalo Rising here. This plaster fabricating studio located on Hinman Avenue has had a big role in restoration efforts on numerous buildings including the Hotel Lafayette and Shea’s Performing Arts Center.
Beginning in the summer of 2011, Buffalo Architectural Casting began work at the Hotel Lafayette. Years of neglect and exposure to Buffalo’s harsh climate had left much of the elements damaged or completely missing. Their artisans took rubber molds of the intact existing molding, capitals and ornate ceiling beam covers and fabricated new pieces that maintained the design of the hotel’s original architecture. The exterior of the Hotel Lafayette is also being repaired and restored.
Capitals, sills, and brackets are among only a few of the architectural elements they are working to restore. Areas of intense damage, like the cartouche above the main entrance, are being sculpted in clay in place directly on the façade, prior to making molds, to preserve the integrity of the original design (entry image).
In January, water‐damaged ornamental plasterwork on the ceiling of Shea’s Performing Arts Center was restored to its original condition. The specialized artisans trained at Buffalo Plastering and Architectural Casting were needed to repair the intricate ornament. This repair was part of the larger ongoing restoration project undertaken by Shea’s Performing Arts Center, in which the firm has been closely involved since 2004.
These projects are just two examples of the work that Buffalo Architectural Casting does in the Western New York area to preserve its architectural and historical significance. This craft, which has benefited the restoration community tremendously, was showcased at the 2011 National Preservation Conference.