NYC’s Irish Hunger Museum: Restoring a Cultural Stone Masterpiece
Built of 32 varieties of stone representing each of Ireland’s 32 counties, the Irish Hunger Memorial in Manhattan receives a massive overhaul to restore its architecture and protect it from further water damage
Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), CTA Architects, P.C., construction manager The LiRo Group and contractor Nicholson & Galloway, Inc. have completed the $5.3 million renovation and waterproofing of the Irish Hunger Memorial. The project restored the monument, including its impressive stonework, to its former magnificence, while rendering it significantly less susceptible to damage from weather for years to come.
The Memorial, designed by internationally renowned sculptor and public artist Brian Tolle, originally opened in 2002. It is a contemplative space devoted to honor the Great Irish Hunger and Migration of 1845-1852, while encouraging viewers to contemplate present-day hunger worldwide. Over the years, it had succumbed to water infiltration from above and subsequent water damage.