Tall metal scaffolding not only fills but surrounds New York’s famed St. Patrick’s Cathedral. What looks to the uninitiated like a zealous cleaning job is actually a painstaking $177 million restoration. If all goes according to plan, worshippers should appreciate how magnificent the iconic church looks when the work is finished without identifying anything that is truly different or out of place. “By and large, we’re fixing things that most people won’t notice,” said Jeffrey Murphy, a partner in Murphy Burnham and Buttrick Architects, the firm in charge of the restoration. The Trustees of St. Patrick’s opted for a conservative approach, where the stone, plaster, and glass are cleaned and repaired, not changed and replaced, he told Catholic News Service. The “very high level” of the work includes thorough research into original materials and drawings to ensure that the outcome reflects both the iconic stature of the building and the not-unlimited budget, Murphy said. “The Trustees are sensitive to doing the essential things and not superfluous things,” he said.
