By Claudie Benjamin
Plaster: on the low end of building materials? Not at all. Its use as a building material in the luxurious 1902 Dorilton at 171 West 71st Street, where apartments sell for millions, is a notable example. Realtor Ann Cutbill Lenane counts among her many marketing videos, several that tour apartments at the Dorilton. It’s impossible to miss the outstanding examples of plaster chair rails, moldings, coffered ceilings, and other architectural ornamentations offset by distinctive, original parquet floors.
Ann is familiar to many Upper West Siders; if not having used her services as an agent, they know her lively, engaging personality and glamorous style, having seen her ads that for 14 years ran pre-movie at AMC Lincoln Square. “Once the captive audience was diminished by reserved seating, Ann turned to “Annie Gets It Done” taxi ads instead. Among them is one, shot in 2019, called “A Man for Ann – Cab Ad” on a non-real estate related theme that encourages suitors to call the divorced mother of two adult daughters. The video went viral worldwide.
Saying she lives and breathes the Upper West Side is an understatement; her immersion in the neighborhood includes her role as co-founder and leader of ONE BLOCK, a nonprofit organization that helps clean Upper West Side streets from 70th to 90th on Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.
Ann marveled at the Dorilton for all its historic charms. She also said that for prospective buyers, “it’s a passion project, not for the faint of heart. Love often wins because it’s such an extraordinary piece of history. However, prospective shareholders need to be prepared for significant, ongoing costs of repairs and restoration.” Plus, the building board does not look kindly on quick, easy, and inexpensive shortcut alternatives instead of expert repairs consistent with the exceptionally high standards of the building’s construction.
Asked about plaster, marble, and wood, among other natural building materials used for the Dorilton, Ann discussed the topic with Robert Domingo, the longtime superintendent. He is deeply interested and informed about all that occurs in his domain. Robert said, “A large percent of the building’s structure is plaster and brick.” About plaster ornamentation, which appears plentifully in many of the Dorilton apartments, what could not be repaired or restored has often been recreated by specialists hired by apartment owners. Making these early 20th-century plaster embellishments work with contemporary design has been successful again and again under the hands of creative interior designers and architects.
Robert said most of the ornamentation in the lobby of the building also showcases plasterwork.
Historically, the Romans are credited with bringing plasterwork techniques to the rest of Europe, although its first use dates back over seven thousand years to the Middle East! Centuries ago, Egyptians used their open fires to burn gypsum. The gypsum was in turn pulverized—add some water and you’ve created plaster. It was first used as mortar for the pyramids.
Why the current interest in the use of plaster? A response is provided in an article by Hackett House Studio, entitled “What is plaster and why is it all the rage?” Well, since you asked, they claim “Plaster is made of ground up limestone which means it is non-toxic and emits zero (Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs.) Additionally, its application is always slightly imperfect giving it an earthy and imperfect feel that is being embraced in the design world right now.”
Today, beyond the plaster projects at the Dorilton that mostly highlight a connection with the past, more generally plaster these days also is used in modernist ways particularly in textured surfaces rather than figurative traditional motifs.
Happily, marble at the Dorilton in the form of hallway and lobby mosaics have remained in relatively good shape for more than 100 years and the two 13-story marble staircases amazingly are nearly pristine.
Ann continues to sell apartments at the Dorilton to home buyers who consider this “an acquisition to be treasured as this building is one of the jewels of the Upper West Side.”