Consigli Construction Co., Inc. has recently completed the restoration of one of the most significant of the original John Hancock buildings in Boston's Back Bay. Completed in 1922, the Clarendon Building at 197 Clarendon St. sits adjacent to the famous glass and steel Hancock Tower and is currently owned by Manulife Financial. In recent years, the building has suffered from limestone deterioration on the fourth and fifth floor cornices, which led to portions of limestone separating and falling to the street below.
In partnership with engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), Consigli's team of self-perform masonry specialists oversaw the rehabilitation, which included new waterproofing and copper repairs as well as the installation of new Indiana buff limestone to replace sections of the broken or deteriorated dutchman. The renovation program required that the building be shrouded with scaffolding to ensure the most accurate inspections possible by engineers. High winds generated by the Hancock Tower posed challenges for the project team, as well as working around an occupied building in a high-volume pedestrian area.
