Wachovia Bank Building Fire Damage
Philadelphia, Pa.

We assisted an insurance company client with repairing damage caused by smoke after a March 15 fire at the 29-story Wachovia Bank Building. Designed by architects Simon & Simon and constructed in the 1920s, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was featured in the 1983 film “Trading Places.” The fire left varying soot deposits on the marble walls and decorative ceiling. Cleaning the stone required removing oily soot without damaging the marble. The acidic smoke and soot damaged the marble’s polished surface, which was restored by rubbing it with a series of progressively finer abrasives, creating a uniformly reflective surface. The polishing was done with hand tools and bare hands. The last step was to neutralize the surface to a pH of 6.5-8.0. The decorative molded, painted and gilded ceiling provided a different set of challenges, such as cleaning delicate materials without damage, possible solubility of the paints and varnishes and concerns of water damage to the plaster. Thornton Tomasetti provided technical assistance for all aspects of the project and assisted the client in the review of costs.