Pittsburgh Athletic Association Main Hall

Designed by renowned architect Benno Janssen, the structure was completed in 1911 and was a private social club and athletic club in the Oakland Neighborhood across from the Cathedral of Learning.  Mr. Rogers was known to swim there.  The monumental, colorful coffered ceiling of the Main Hall hosts individually painted plaster shields with the logos of the regional athletic clubs.  

Fine Art Architectural Restoration was contracted in 2020 to restore the Main Hall ceiling.  The painted plaster surface was gray with embedded dust and soot.  In addition, the decorative paint was flaking badly, including on the uniquely painted rosette panels.  

Working from scissor-lift baskets, the lifting and flaking paint was spray consolidated with water-based adhesive and set-down with heated tacking irons.  Once the paint layer was stabilized, the surface was brushed with a mild, alkaline, water-based cleaning solution and then rinsed with pure water.  After cleaning, based on historic research, the coffer decorative motif was adjusted: an ivory-toned paint was applied to the coffer moldings, and a middle band of egg and dart molding was reinforced with gold paint.  

The remainder of the moldings, shields, and rosettes were cleaned and inpainted with preservation-grade commercial and artistic paints.  After inpainting, the surfaces were coated with isolating varnishes.  The result of the treatment is a fanciful, colorful art nouveau masterpiece that has come to light after decades of decay. 

Client: Walnut Capital.