The New York Public Library reopened its historic Rose Reading Room during October after a two year renovation mainly involving the ceiling and chandeliers. Housed within a ninety one metre, column free area in the Stephen A.Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, the Rose Reading Room is a one hundred and five year old Beaux Arts landmark designed by Carrère & Hastings. The building was closed during May 2014 after one of the ornamental plaster rosettes adorning its gilded ceiling fell sixteen metres to the ground.
The US$12 million renovation, led by WJE Engineers & Architects and Tishman Construction Corporation, included the recreation and replacement of the rosette that had fallen. All of the existing classical plaster work which framed a collection of celestial murals was inspected and restored.
