Yesterday, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral On Fifth Avenue unveiled a bright new pressure-washed façade. For the past two years, the 135-year-old cathedral has been masked by scaffolding, while workers blasted its marble exterior with a mixture of water and glass beads to remove decades’ worth of dirt and gunk, St. Pat’s reps told the New York Post.
“It’s a striking transformation…We’re really excited. It’s a beautiful testimony to a place that’s near and dear to New Yorkers,” said Kate Monaghan, a spokesperson for St. Pat’s.
The $25 million cleaning began in May 2012, after large chunks of stone began to fall from the building. It’s part of a larger $180 million restoration that is more than halfway done.[NYP] – Christopher Cameron