The West End of The WaterFire Arts Center is receiving a facade lift! Many of the bricks laid in 1929 during the building’s construction have been damaged by time and New England’s harsh winters. As part of the historic restoration, all bricks with scaled faces, cracks, or damaged mortar are being replaced and refitted with matching, new or salvaged brick from elsewhere on the site or new sources.
The work is challenging, with power hammers used to remove mortar and free the damaged bricks. Much of the process has to be done high on lifts, adding to its difficulty. However, refinishing the brickwork now is vital the long-term health of the building, and precludes us from having to step back and restore it after WaterFire Providence’s occupancy begins.
About the author
I've worked at WaterFire Providence since 2003. For the first 9 years of my career, I worked in the Production Shop learning all of the details that go into the physical production of the event. In 2012 transitioned to the role of managing WaterFire's social media and web presence. I now head up WaterFire Providence's digital projects including, web, social, databases, and our physical IT infrastructure.
