FRIENDS' Testimony:

The doors, window grilles, and light fixtures at 737 Park Avenue are consistent with and are original to the 1940 Sylvan Bien design. Therefore, the FRIENDS Preservation Committee finds no justification in replacing this fabric if it can be restored and reused. Although the applicant asserts that the main entrance doors are irreparable, the historic door grilles could be incorporated into new doors or the original doors could be recreated. The Classicizing Art-Deco lanterns can similarly be restored and integrated into the new design. In addition, although several of the secondary entrance doors seem as if they have been altered, many retain the original grilles, and these could be used as a model for a new door instead of introducing a new decorative motif based on the Greek key.

Rather than preserving these original details in a piecemeal fashion, the Preservation Committee at FRIENDS asks that the Commission work with the applicant in retaining as much of the 1940 Sylvan Bien design as possible.