By Daniel Colombini
Historic structures may seem to be an unlikely setting for contemporary advances in fire protection, but some of the most historic buildings in Greater New York City have inspired advances that continue to have application worldwide. I was thinking about that as I prepared a recent presentation for a virtual conference in Europe.
‘Historic’ means something different in New York City than it means in Europe, of course. Construction began in 1930 on the Empire State Building, where I have designed and managed significant engineering upgrades, including retroactive sprinkler installations. By contrast, construction began on the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris in AD 1163 – and on the Pantheon in Rome in AD 113.
Still, historic structures have in common a need to meet contemporary safety expectations within the context of not only historic preservation but a deference to the spirit and the purpose of the original structure. That’s what makes addressing the fire protection needs of historic structures so fascinating. It’s why addressing those needs is essential to historic preservation itself. It’s how historic structures fuel the creativity today that leads to innovation.
