OFFICE, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
Cathedral Stoneworks

LOCATION: 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York

CLIENT: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York

COST: $5,100,000 (including machinery)

DATE: Completed in 1992

Located on the premises of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the Cathedral Stoneworks is a stone contracting and restoration firm in partnership with the Cathedral of St. John.

This expansion, which occurred over three years, incorporates the latest in high-tech stone cutting machines from Holland and Italy within a large steel shed. Stone comes to the yard in blocks weighing up to 15 tons. Nine new machines have the capacity to cut, drill, and polish the marble and limestone. Five overhead cranes transport the stone around the shop. Laser beams combined with sophisticated computer programming enable the router and profiler machines to carve in three dimensions 24 hours a day. Intricate sculpting and final details are the work of a team of highly skilled banker masons and carvers.

With its expanded capacity, the Stoneworks was able to cut stone for projects throughout the country. They recently acquired an entire limestone quarry in Alabama which will provide stone to complete the Cathedral among other projects.

PROJECT TEAM: Sharon Liebowitz, project manager; Jose Lopez, assistant architect; Linda Dishner, assistant architect; Juliana Bohem, assistant architect