March 01, 2007

Arcade at Bethesda Terrace reopens Friday with tours

Gothamist flags the very exciting Central Park news that the arcade at Bethesda Fountain Terrace will finally reopen Friday after a very long, $7 million renovation process.

The ribbon cutting starts at 10:30 a.m. with guided tours and restoration demonstrations set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tours are open to the public, an NYC Parks & Recreation official told NewYorkology.

Details from the Parks & Rec press release:

The main focus of the restoration was the preservation and reinstallation of the Arcade’s treasured Minton tile ceiling, the only known example of Minton encaustic ceramic tiles used in a suspended ceiling. The majority of the 15,876 tiles were removed and put into storage in the early 1980s because their backing plates were severely corroded due to water infiltration. Additional restoration efforts reinforced and waterproofed the infrastructure to prevent any future water damage.

March 1, 2007 06:17 PM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, Sightsology, Tours, Upper East Side, Upper West Side

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