NYC Water Main Break
On the morning of January 4, 2021, while much of the world was still working from home during the COVID Pandemic, a 22-inch water main burst at 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue. Discovered by a security guard who happened to glance at a live video feed, the rupture unleashed hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and mud, flooding everything at and below the Plaza.
Unfortunately, because much of the facility is subterranean, severe damage extended to the theater, music, rehearsal, and community rooms below.
Extensive Damage to Landmarked Facility
The immediate destruction viewed from the Plaza following the municipal water main break in 2021: Lines across the glass doors show how water and mud collected until it burst through flooding and damaging multiple spaces.
Water flowed through to the lowest levels of the facility and pooled in Vignelli-designed interiors.
Mold remediation and clean up began quickly. Here we see a person removing electrical wires that have been damaged.
From the inside of the building, water and mud entered through the public plaza filtering through the Vignelli-designed interiors and completely destroying the lowest levels.
On the Lexington Avenue sidewalk is a large broken pipe: the culprit that sent water and mud flowing into the building and requiring full overhaul of the multiple spaces.
The lowest level, with multiple rehearsal studios and a black box theater has now been completely gutted due to the water damage. Multiple instruments have been totaled.
Restoring a Landmark
In the years following the water main break, massive projects to clean up and restore the Vignelli-designed interiors and organ have been undertaken. Two exhibitions have explored these processes and are now ongoing archived exhibitions.
Water, Water Everywhere
This photo exhibit sheds light on the failure of the Sanctuary’s iconic skylight system, compounded by a catastrophic water main break that flooded the space. Even those who may have followed updates via email will find valuable insights here about the extent of the damage and the magnitude of our losses.
Klais 1977 | C.B. Fisk 2023
The restoration and reimagination of this instrument is made possible by an entire community of people. Insurance covered some of the extraordinary care provided at the time of crisis, but there is more to be raised. Learn more with a photo series offering a detailed exploration of the entire process to restore the Vignelli-designed organ.