The Fulton Building in downtown Pittsburgh is a historic hotel structure dating to the early 1900s. When Sage Hospitality Resources undertook its conversion to the Renaissance Pittsburgh Marriott, the project required restoring the building to its original grandeur -- preserving the historic character that made it a Pittsburgh landmark while meeting the standards of a modern upscale hotel. Graciano Corporation was engaged to carry out the masonry restoration scope of the project, working to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Restoration throughout.
The 350-room hotel sits with views of PNC Park, placing it at the center of Pittsburgh's revitalized downtown. The restoration of the Fulton Building's exterior and its celebrated grand lobby was essential to the hotel's identity and to the success of the overall conversion project.
Scope of Work
Services Performed
- Renovation of interior and exterior ground floor
- Cleaning and repointing of exterior stone
- Restoration of marble throughout the grand lobby
- Stone repair and patching
- Mortar matching and tuckpointing
- Work executed to Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Restoration
Exterior Stone Restoration
The Fulton Building's exterior stone had accumulated decades of grime from Pittsburgh's industrial past. Graciano's crews cleaned the full exterior stone surfaces using methods appropriate to the building's historic materials, removing soiling without damaging the original surface finish. Following cleaning, all deteriorated mortar joints in the exterior stonework were raked out and repointed with mortar matched in color and composition to the existing joints, restoring the building's appearance while re-establishing the weathertight integrity of the facade.
Marble Grand Lobby Restoration
The grand lobby is the signature interior feature of the Fulton Building -- a formal hotel entry finished in marble that had suffered deterioration and staining over the decades since the building's original construction. Graciano's restoration of the lobby marble returned the surfaces to a condition consistent with the building's early-twentieth-century character. The work was coordinated with the architect and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards to ensure that restoration interventions were reversible and compatible with the historic fabric.
About Graciano Corporation
Founded in 1916, Graciano Corporation is one of the oldest and most experienced masonry and concrete restoration firms in the United States. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, with additional offices in New York, NY, and Florida, Graciano performs approximately 90% of all work in-house with its own skilled journeymen. The company is a WBENC-certified Woman Business Enterprise with a long record of historic hotel, civic, and landmark restoration projects across the eastern United States.