The Hotel Wales

Facade Rehabilitation

Located in the exclusive Carnegie Hill section of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Hotel Wales offers boutique-style accommodations in a 1930s townhouse. In 1974, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Hotel Wales a historic landmark as part of the Carnegie Hill Historic District.

For city landmarks, rules intended to preserve the historic character of neighborhoods can also make compliance with facade safety ordinances more challenging. That’s why, when it came to meeting Local Law 11 / Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) inspection and filing requirements, the Hotel Wales turned to the facade experts at Hoffmann Architects + Engineers.

Our team began with a review of the most recent inspection report, along with other relevant documentation. Scope verification was then followed by development of drawings and specifications pertaining to necessary repairs, in which our architects pinpointed the location of each crack, spall, or joint to be restored. Specific methodologies for corners, expansion joints, flashings, anchors, and any unusual or challenging areas were delineated graphically and in detailed construction documents, such that repairs would hew precisely to landmark and technical requirements.

Hoffmann provided bidding assistance and construction administration services at the nine-story structure. Despite the building’s intricate brickwork and variety of historic materials, including clay brick, terra cotta, steel, limestone, stucco, and concrete, Hoffmann’s rehabilitation strategy successfully restored the aging facade. On behalf of the Hotel Wales, our design professionals filed the necessary paperwork with the Department of Buildings to fulfill FISP inspection, repair, and reporting requirements.