HQ served as historic preservation consultant to GFI Capital Resources Group, Inc. for the rehabilitation of the former Temple Court building in Lower Manhattan. This structure, one of New York’s most significant tall buildings from the pre-skyscraper era, features a full-height central atrium that had been closed off to the public for over 50 years. HQ worked with a design team that included GKV Architects, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio and EverGreene Architectural Arts to restore the facade and the iconic atrium, creating an exciting new hospitality space.

Temple Court historically functioned as a mixed commercial and office building occupied by multiple tenants. Commissioned by wealthy Irish-American banker Eugene Kelly in the late 19th century, the building was constructed in two phases: the original building on the northern portion of the site was designed by architects Benjamin Silliman, Jr. and James Mace Farnsworth between 1881 and 1883; a connected annex to the south was designed by Farnsworth alone in 1889-1890.

Before GFI Development Company purchased the building in 2012, years of unsympathetic alterations, failed conversions and demolitions had resulted in the removal of much of the historic fabric at the interior of the building. Historic documentation uncovered by HQ supported the restoration of several elements, including the granite entrance portico on Beekman Street, new storefronts at the base of the building, new limestone cladding on the lower portion of the annex façade, and the historic metallic paint finishes for the atrium’s cast-iron features.

The reuse of the central atrium posed significant challenges in terms of building code and life safety systems. Working with the NYC Fire Department and the NYC Department of Buildings, Lilker Associates Consulting Engineers, P.C. in conjunction with Jensen Hughes Engineering designed an innovative life-safety system that met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and included retractable smoke curtains and smoke-purge units to make the reuse of the space possible and minimize impact on historic features.

Subsequent to the completion of the project, the NYC LPC designated the atrium as an interior landmark. The Beekman represents a significant restoration of an important New York City landmark, and the reconnection of the city to one of its most unique interior spaces.