M&T Plaza Façade Restoration

The ground level features a 35-foot-tall lobby originally clad with 3 cm thick Vermarco Taconic white marble accenting full‑height, arched windows along the east and west faces of the building. The north and south faces feature bookmatched Vermont Verde Antique green and marble panels framed with white marble and capped with curved stone soffit panels.

While the façade performed well for the types of materials that were used, there were fundamental issues with the original design which were unknown at the time that it was built. As was common to other thin marble veneer construction of this era, cracking and bowing of the white panels was prevalent and included cracks and corrosion staining on the green marble emanating from embedded reinforcement, resulting in continually increasing maintenance demand.

In 2015, M&T contracted with Wendel and Simpson Gumpertz & Heger inc. (SGH) to investigate the cause of the observed deterioration and provide repair recommendations. Due to the extent of deterioration that was observed despite previous unsuccessful attempts to replace individual panels, the design team recommended a full façade replacement at the lobby level. Subsequently, Wendel was hired to design a new façade and exterior cladding system for the historic property, and SGH was chosen as the Engineer of Record. As the Architect of Record, Wendel was responsible for overall design coordination, water management including the water-resistive barrier, new flashings at fenestration openings and the base of the wall, and joint sealants, managing SGH’s efforts, and the Landscape Architecture team provided new landscape design.

M&T moved forward with the replacement of all exterior marble on the first two levels with an innovative and beautiful glass panel system that will provide higher performance while respecting the important architectural heritage of the original design. The team presented several options for both the green and white marble that considered material properties, aesthetics, cost, fabrication limitations, and track record of successful in-service performance in similar climates. Ultimately, the original Vermont Verde Antique marble was selected, though this time the design included panels that were 1 cm thicker than the original 3 cm panels, reducing some of the risks that had caused the cracking seen in the original panels.

As with any recladding project, success is defined by the similarity of the final product to its predecessor. This project was highly successful in that regard, but also contributing to its success was the challenge that M&T set to produce a high-quality, modern façade that would allow the original design to stand the test of time. The new façade doesn’t just pay homage to the original design; it embraces it, preserving this piece of Buffalo history for years to come.