« back to Article

First major Guastavino exhibition opening at MCNY on March 26
The Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York Guastavino vault under the Queensboro Bridge. Photo © Michael Freeman, Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York Entrance vaults at the Riverside Church in Manhattan by the Guastavino Company. The Guastavino Company was able to integrate its vaulting into the steel framing, so that the loads were shared between the two systems. Though this made the vaulting seem decorative rather than essential, the vaulting was in fact load bearing and part of the building's structural system. Photo © Michael Freeman, Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York Spiral stair at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (begun 1892) in Manhattan demonstrates the spatial and structural complexities of some of the Guastavino tile vaults. The brilliance of the Guastavino system lies in the seamless integration of structure and finished surface. Each layer of tiles was offset from the adjacent layer to create an interlocking pattern, reminiscent of a woven basket. Such patterns help to distribute forces evenly throughout the structure, making it remarkably... St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University is one of the earliest buildings designed by I. N. Phelps Stokes, an architect who had studied at Columbia and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The spiral staircase was designed by the Guastavino Company and has served as the visual focal point, as well as a form of structural stability, for the chapel since. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York This angle of the spiral stair at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (begun 1892) in Manhattan demonstrates the spatial and structural complexities of some of the Guastavino tile vaults. The brilliance of the Guastavino system lies in the seamless integration of structure and finished surface. Each layer of tiles was offset from the adjacent layer to create an interlocking pattern, reminiscent of a woven basket. Such patterns help to distribute forces evenly throughout the structure... Guastavino's arrival in the U.S. coincided with the dawn of a fertile period in American architecture and a huge construction boom in New York. As a result, cultural organizations were comissioning leading architects to design iconic structures that would become symbols of their institutions. One such example is the Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, designed by architectural firm Heins and LaFarge, with a Guastavino Company vaulted interior finish of herringbone tile seperated by horizontal... The ornate vaults supported on tile arches at the Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, designed by the Guastavino Company, represent a fertile period in American Architecture; a time when structures were built to look grand for man or beast. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York The Della Robbia Room of the Vanderbilt Hotel in New York is considered one of the most outstanding examples of decorative Guastavino vaulting ever built. Working with architects Warren and Wetmore, Guastavino Jr. developed a series of shallow vaults on arches, which were layered with ceramic pieces that created a relief of color. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York The Prospect Park Tennis Shelter in Brooklyn is an example of how the Gustavino Company offered their design 'suggestions' to the arthitectural firms, who in turn adopted Guastavino designs with few changes. The shelter was designed by the arhitectural firm Helmle and Huberty. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York The Oyster Bar at Grand Central. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York The Boathouse in Prospect Park in Brooklyn is an example of how the Gustavino Company offered their design 'suggestions' to the arthitectural firms, who in turn adopted Guastavino designs with few changes. The Boathouse was designed by the arhitectural firm Helmle and Huberty. This photograph of the interior depicts an example of a 'flat vault' with an opening for a staircase. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York By the turn of the 20th century, the Guastavino Company was well established, and the firm saw tremendous success in the ensuing decades. During this period, the Guastavinos contributed to the design and construction of more than 200 New York City landmarks, exercising a profound influence on the city's architectural character. A series of new projects for bridges and trains stations employed their vaulting for public infrastructure, beginning with the City Hall Subway station in 1904 with the... Architect Henry Hornbostel called on the Guastavino Company to design a vaulted arcade below the approach to the Queensboro Bridge, to serve as a public market. Visually, the canopy of tile vaulting transformed a regular grid of columns into a soaring celebration of public space. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York The Ellis Island Registry Room was originally constructed in 1900 by architects Boring and Tilton with a plaster ceiling, and was reconstructed with a beautiful tile ceiling by the Guastavino Company in 1917; literally becoming a palace for the people of sorts, where millions of immigrants passed through. However, the vaulting wasn't just stunning, it was also structurally stable. When Ellis Island was abandoned for decades and its buildings fell into terrible disrepair, the Guastavino vault... Guastavino Jr.'s residence on Bay Shore, Long Island was built almost entirely in tile vaulting. This Mediterranean-style villa was designed by Guastavino Jr. and his friend architect Henry Hornbostel. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York Guastavino Jr.'s Mediterranean-style villa, which was designed by Guastavino Jr. and his friend architect Henry Hornbostel, has an irregular plan and features eccentric Gothic and Romanesque details and large arched windows facing the water. The residence, which is on Bay Shore, Long Island was built almost entirely in tile vaulting as is evident in regard to the design of this foyer. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York Photo of the reverse side of a Guastavino tile that was manufactured in Woburn, Massachusetts. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York In the summer of 1909, the Guastavino Company had built one of the largest masonry domes ever completed for St. John the Divine. The company did so by creating the cathedral's crowning feature with no support from scaffolding. As a result, they were able to build far more quickly and at a much lower cost than any other dome of its size in history. The project at St. John the Divine garnered national and internationl attention, thrusting Guastavino Jr. into the pages of leading magazines and... In the summer of 1909, the Guastavino Company had built one of the largest masonry domes ever completed for St. John the Divine. The company did so by creating the cathedral's crowning feature with no support from scaffolding. As a result, they were able to build far more quickly and at a much lower cost than any other dome of its size in history. The project at St. John the Divine garnered national and internationl attention, thrusting Guastavino Jr. into the pages of leading magazines and... In 1910, the Guastavino Company was actively working on both Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station (pictured here). Guastavino vaulting provided stations architects with an efficient structural solution that gave the impression of solidity and permanence. The structural tile also served as an attractive decorative finish to expansive structures. Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal, two New York City stations represent the highest achievements of American railroad... A load test on a landing of a Guastavino tile stair at the First Church of Christ Scientist demonstrates the spatial and structural complexities, as well as the strength, of the company's tile vaulting. Courtesy of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University At this YMCA swimming pool in Jersey City, New Jersey, the Guastavino Company created vaulting that was perforated in the center and the sides to admit natural light. Courtesy of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University Quadripartite gothic vaults in Akoutstolith at the Riverside Church in New York City by the Guastavino Company. Today, it is impossible to tell that the completed nave of the Riverside Church is framed in steel (as seen here). The Guastavino Company was able to integrate its vaulting into the steel framing, so that the loads were shared between the two systems. Though this made the vaulting seem decorative rather than essential, the vaulting was in fact load bearing and part of the building's... Sketch of the section of Cathedral of St. John the Divine with vaults over the crypt by the Guastavino Company for the architectrual firm Heins and LaFarge. Courtesy of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University In 1910, the Guastavino Company was actively working on both Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station (pictured here). Guastavino vaulting provided stations architects with an efficient structural solution that gave the impression of solidity and permanence... The architectural firm that was involved with the Pennsylvania Station project was McKim, Mead, and White. Courtesy of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University

The Prospect Park Tennis Shelter in Brooklyn is an example of how the Gustavino Company offered their design 'suggestions' to the arthitectural firms, who in turn adopted Guastavino designs with few changes. The shelter was designed by the arhitectural firm Helmle and Huberty. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York
2

The Prospect Park Tennis Shelter in Brooklyn is an example of how the Gustavino Company offered their design "suggestions" to the arthitectural firms, who in turn adopted Guastavino designs with few changes. The shelter was designed by the arhitectural firm Helmle and Huberty. Photo © Michael Freeman. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York