A monument of late 19th-century decorative arts, the Veterans Room in the historic Park Avenue Armory is the most significant remaining intact interior in the world by Louis C. Tiffany and Co., Associated Artists. Under the guide of Herzog & de Meuron with Platt Byard Dovell White Architects, EverGreene conservators analyzed the historic wall covering is the room, and with Studio E, created new wallpaper that mirrors the intent, color balance, and multi-stepped process of the design by original designers Tiffany, Samuel Colman, and Candace Wheeler.
The new design began with a historic investigation and analysis of the original wallpaper. Conservators stabilized the historic paper, used a scalpel to remove it from the walls, and then encapsulated it for preservation. Once the paper was removed, the damaged plaster substrate was treated and repaired so the new wallpaper could be safely and securely installed.
In the studio, designers and artists studied the original form and created prototypes for the new design that incorporated multiple hand-applied stencils including the Japanese woodblock wave and layered chain-link designs. The final result was an intricate layering of historic and contemporary design techniques, a geometric code indicating the application of hand-painted highlights, and custom-created metallics that make the paper shimmer and standout as a work of art on its own.