We’re over halfway through the renovations project at Seibels and are on target for completion in April 2018. The renovations for the 1977 portion of the building are essentially complete. All efforts are now being directed to the 1949 portion of the building.
One of the tasks we’re taking on with the renovations is the refurbishment of our 1949 exterior windows. As you may recall, the 1949 portion of the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is listed as a City of Columbia landmark. You can read more about that in our previous post here. Because of this accolade, we will not be replacing the windows, but refurbishing them.
As there are over 170 windows throughout the Seibels building, this is a tedious process that takes time and precision! The process will involve removing the glass, stripping the window frames down to the bare metal, adding rust inhibitors, and painting. We will then replace the glass with new double pane glass.
In addition to refurbishing the windows, our next major task will be to modernize the elevators. On the 1949 side, we will retain the historical features, including the elevator buttons. We will replace the floor and call buttons with Westinghouse 1949 replicas. The woodwork in the executive area will be restored to its original splendor.
Here’s a quick look at some of the progress happening on the first floor in the 1949 portion of the building. Stay tuned for before and afters!