In the CBD of Birmingham, we’ve been providing Construction Management services for a grand theatre that’s more than 100 years old. With structural analysis of The Lyric Theatre complete, we’ve moved ahead with the restoration of the theatre envelope, including tuck-pointing the exterior masonry and re-roofing the building structure to provide a weather-tight environment for the interior finishes.

Many of these larger scale are items under control, and we’re moving on to the finer details inside the Lyric. EverGreene Architectural Arts of New York is performing our plaster restoration. They have performed restoration work for more than 250 historic theaters including Radio City Music Hall, and are doing great work for us in downtown Birmingham.

Their scope of work for us:

• Rebuilding the plaster in spots where it has been damaged by water over the years
• Refreshing and refinishing areas of plaster that are still sound, making it ready for paint
• Period-correct painting of plaster, as determined by a historical finish investigation which identifies designs and color palettes from the original decorative scheme
• Stenciling in the barrel vaults to recreate the original design, as discovered in period pictures
• Restoring and rebuilding ornate medallions, located over air vents and at the tops of chandeliers
• Site casting the original moldings of the ornate plaster details to replicate and fill in damaged areas

Much of the work in progress now includes sculpting and casting of these decorative plaster elements. Molds are made, and then used to form the necessary pieces to replace deteriorated elements. An artisan with both a skilled hand and a scientific knowledge of finishes completes the work.