In a message dated 9/29/00 9:21:03 AM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> 1014-1018 Madison Avenue: replace and restore original decorative sidewalk
>  [designed by Alexander Calder - swirly black and white terrazzo], $10,000
>  Architect: Steven Zirinsky, 718-706-0616

Sharpshooter,

Happy to see this one. We have been *preserving* this sidewalk for quite some
time... meaning, cobbing it up on the cheap cheap so that the sidewalk police
do not come along and cite it w/ violations leading to pressure to rip it up
& replace w/ gray concrete. By the way... it ain't terrazzo... exposed
aggregate. Is this another architect that can't tell what they are looking
at? Or a lack of probes?

A bed of regular concrete was laid down, probably 4" thickness best I can
tell from where chunks were missing, w/ a top coat of 1/2" w/ white & black
aggregate & the *swirly* brass strips between the colors. Problem w/ the
sidewalk, as w/ many OUTDOOR installations of artists who are better on
marketing & concept than built craft, is that the sidewalk was not a very
well built one to begin with... but not built any worse than any other
sidewalk.

As you may remember the Levitoon sidewalk on BP in days past, there is an art
& science to good sidewalk restoration.

Our band-aid repairs consisted of using a removable type-N mortar w/ white
aggregate & black spray paint. The idea, on our part, to make a repair to buy
them time, but to remain reversible and not impact on the artisitc fabric...
that is, not look like the original to the discerning eye. Hell w/ the
non-discerning eye.

The reason Calder put this sidewalk there was that one of the shops was his
dealer's gallery. Had nothing to do with his wife being sick in bed for 6
months.

At a 10 G pop I would assume this is not a purist restoration to occur, but a
replication.

Thanks,
Shaman