Restoration of Bethesda Arcade’s Minton Tile Ceiling:

Restoration of Bethesda Arcade’s Minton Tile Ceiling:. Paving and Waterproofing of the Upper Terrace. , Designed and built in the 1860s as the park’s most elaborate architectural feature, Bethesda Terrace’s grand staircases and Arcade connect the Mall to the Lower Terrace, overlooking the Lake and the Ramble. The Arcade, a pedestrian passage that runs under the 72nd Street cross drive, was conceived as an “open air hall of reception.” Large panels of elaborately patterned encaustic tiles hand-hand by England’s Minton and Company adorned the ceiling., The Central Park Conservancy and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation began to restore the Terrace in 1983 as one of the first major initiatives of the overall Park’s restoration. During construction, the team discovered that the ceiling panels were severely compromised. The panels were removed and carefully stored until a plan could be developed and funding secured for their repair and restoration. In 1997, the Conservancy completed a pilot project involving the restoration and replacement of two test panels. Now, twenty years after the tiles were placed in storage, the restoration of the entire ceiling is underway., This phase of the project included waterproofing and repaving the Upper Terrace and roadway to prevent damage to the restored tile ceiling in the Arcade below. The design of this work will evoke the historic character of the Upper Terrace., Highlights include: . Regrading and waterproofing the roadway to improve damage , . Restoring decorative paving on the Upper Terrace , . Installing new stone curbs to direct water runoff and set the plaza apart from the 72nd Street drive , . Emphasizing the pedestrian character of the plaza by relocating street lamps and traffic lights away from the section of drive that crosses the Upper Terrace , . Replacing the square skylight from the 1980s restoration with a more historically accurate circular skylight of round bullet glass and cast iron , . Installing cast iron bollards on the new curb , . Redesigning the crosswalks to meet accessibility standards