OVERVIEW

The New Jersey Executive State House is a primarily Italianate style building that sits at the gateway to the Capitol Complex from the surrounding city of Trenton. The second oldest state capitol in the nation, it was initially constructed in 1792. It has been expanded and altered over nearly 20 design and construction campaigns into the mid-Twentieth century by some of the most prominent architects of the region. Through the wear and tear of over two centuries, no comprehensive restoration campaign has ever been executed (although several studies had been recently initiated), and the building currently stands in a deteriorated state. PDP and Nelson were selected by the Division of Property Management and Construction in collaboration with the New Jersey Building Authority to lead the effort on the Exterior Restoration of this historic resource.

PROJECT APPROACH

PDP is engaged as the design lead and historic preservation expert, focusing on the restoration of the exterior building fabric. Nelson is the administrative lead and contract holder. The team is working together on the production of construction documents in collaboration with a team of consultants that has considerable experience with similar historic structures. In the process of assessing the condition of the building envelope, the design team has identified particular at-risk items. It has recommended that these be addressed in a campaign of Interim Repairs, which are being undertaken prior to the full exterior restoration. During its work, the design team has identified inefficiencies in how the building systems serve – or do not serve – certain areas within the building interior. The existing systems and services are a patchwork of reactive interventions that have been necessitated by the demands of the continuously changing user groups within the building. The Executive State House has not undergone a comprehensive renovation that ties the building's potential to a rational reprogramming effort. PDP and Nelson are investigating the feasibility of such an intervention through a Concept Plan & Program, that will inform the building's diverse stakeholders of the best way to be a steward of this historic resource.