Weequahic Park Playground Pavilion Building

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We worked together on a joint project with the civil engineering firm Bowman Consulting for a replacement of a playground at Weequahic Park in Newark, New Jersey. Bowman Consulting addressed the total replacement of the playground area, and we focused on the renovation and restoration of the existing historic terracotta pavilion building that was originally constructed in 1916.

There were two main projects regarding the building. The first was the gutting and replacing of the public bathrooms. All new fixtures and finishes were provided throughout to modernize and improve the aesthetics and durability of the interior. Adjustments were made to provide updated handicapped accessibility to the facilities. Also improvements to lighting and heating were incorporated.

The exterior of the building was damaged both by the elements, vandalism, and by incompatible repairs to the terracotta that was performed over the years. Based upon the funding available, it was decided to repair and extend the life of the exterior without involving any highly obtrusive methods. The first step was to fully strip the exterior of the many layers of paint. Then the terracotta damages were repaired with compatible restoration materials. These damages included hairline cracks, major gaping cracks, holes, and missing parts. Loose facade elements were also mechanically reattached. After the repairs were completed, the entire exterior was refinished with a new terracotta compatible anti-graffiti coating.