Designed by renowned American architect James Gamble Rogers and completed in 1915, the 22-story Yale Club of New York City is the world’s largest college clubhouse. Designated a landmark by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2016, it is located on Vanderbilt Avenue across from Grand Central Terminal.

Following a 2011 building assessment prepared by BFA and Fiskaa Engineering, the Club embarked on a ten-year capital master plan. BFA was engaged for a number of phased renovation projects, including the Grand Ballroom, the Main Lounge, and the reconstruction of the historic retail storefront on 44th Street. Each renovation included the installation of new fire suppression systems as part of a program to fully sprinkler the building—a particular challenge when working with historic interiors. The restoration of the Main Lounge was designed in collaboration with Kemble Interiors. While its glory is the exquisite restoration of the ornate plasterwork, exceptional planning and care went into the installation of new life safety systems that are concealed above the ceiling and behind the walls—an arduous challenge when restoring a historic interior.

No drawings of the original storefront survive, so BFA had only one historic photograph to aid in designing an appropriate new storefront for the property. During demolition, we discovered that much of the original cast iron ornament was intact, though damaged, behind modern metal coverings, so we adjusted our design to incorporate this historic feature, with missing pieces cast anew. The project restores the architectural integrity of the landmark Club building, and vastly improves the character of this block of East 44th Street.