Netherlands Carillon Rehabilitation

Arlington, Va.

BEST PROJECT, RENOVATION/RESTORATION

Submitted By: Submitted by Asturian-Consigli JV

Owner National Park Service - Denver Service Center

Lead Design Firm Quinn Evans

General Contractor Asturian-Consigli JV

Historic Preservation Specialists Lathan Co.

Subcontractors Kreilick Conservation; Max Electrical Construction; Accurate Glasswork; Atlantic Refinishing & Restoration; Corinthian Contractors; Finley Asphalt and Concrete; Retro Environmental; Total Contracting Solutions

This $10-million project restored the Netherlands Carillon, which commemorates the U.S. role in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi Germany and the help provided to the country through The Marshall Plan.

The restoration, completed on schedule in 14 months at budget, included updating the panels in the clavier room; returning the 50 existing bronze bells from The Netherlands, where they were restored; and installing three newly cast bells to the system. The three new bells are dedicated to Americans who had a great impact on the world during and since WWII: George C. Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr. and Eleanor Roosevelt.

The original plan focused only on restoration of the tower’s skin, but it morphed into a much larger project when sand from previous sandblasting projects was found. To guarantee that unwanted debris from the prior sandblasting work was thoroughly removed, the team undertook testing for asbestos and lead. The team also managed steel corrosion that was exposed when skin was removed in a variety of ways. Reinforcements were necessary in some areas to support the damaged structure.

Elsewhere, the team managed the steel by blasting, cleaning, priming and covering the tarnished steel. Due to the extent of unanticipated conditions, a specialty steel contractor was hired to handle the infield steel reinforcement and new metal panels were fabricated to replace the corroded steel.