The 1902 Knox Hat Building, designed by John H. Duncan, was located at the head of the fashionable shopping district on Fifth Avenue at 40th Street. Over a century later, and incorporated into a larger building complex as the headquarters for HSBC, the Knox Building had lost much of its original architectural character. Our restoration brought the building back to its original Beaux Arts appearance.

We replaced modern metal and glass storefronts with cast iron and steel replicas of the original curved storefront vitrines along 40th Street. At the restored entry on 5th Avenue, curved glass vitrines flank double doors surmounted by a re-created curved glass and steel canopy, complete with individual light bulbs that originally signaled its modern design.

On the seventh-floor cornice, we cast a new railing to match the missing original, but used aluminum to reduce the weight. New monumental wood windows returned the original large expanses of glass to the façade. Finally, we restored the masonry façades and ornate sheet metal roof dormers to return the Knox Building to its previous prominence.

This meticulous restoration not only met the requirements of the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, but also garnered awards from both the Preservation League of New York State and the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

Architect: PBDW Architects (Samuel G. White, Paul S. Byard, Anne Holford-Smith, Debora Barros, David Kent, Beau Woodrum)

Structural Engineer: Anastos Engineering Associates

Conservator: Jablonski Building Conservation, Inc.

General Contractor: Nicholson & Galloway, Inc.

Cast Iron and Steel Storefronts: Allen Architectural Metals

Structural Steel: Koenig Iron Works, Inc.

Window Fabricator: Skyline Windows, LLC

Painting and Abatement: H&S Environmental, LLC

Photographer: Jonathan Wallen

Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, Preservation League of New York State, 2011

Lucy G. Moses Award, New York Landmarks Conservancy, 2010