Cast Stone Veneer Preservation for Mayfair Theater

Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, 
California, USA

The emphasis on preservation and replication of all the facade materials on this decorative cast stone veneer called for a faithful and attentive approach to how each of the materials should be treated during removal, restoration, and eventual reinstallation.

The Northridge earthquake had expanded upon the damage wrought by normal weathering and iron-jacking, and the entire upper assembly was clearly out of plane and structurally at risk. The lower portion of the facade was a sad example of how building facades can be changed over the years, and not necessarily for the better. We used hoisting to remove the large masonry units, while a second hoisting system was then used to lower the cast stone units to the ground at the storage and restoration area.