Designed in the mid-1920s to memorialize World War I, the University of Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall features terra cotta gargoyles, nurses, and soldiers on the building’s facade. THP is currently renovating the roof and façade, including these terra cotta embellishments.
The terra cotta embellishments, some weighing 1,000 pounds or more, posed unique challenges. THP found that the original terra cotta pieces had suffered a great deal of distress that wasn’t visible from the outside, resulting in about 30% of the pieces requiring replacement. This included the four 600-pound gargoyles atop the tower which were removed and used to create custom molds for their replacements. Steel was utilized for added strength and longevity inside the four replacement gargoyles.
The new terra cotta gargoyles were recently hoisted into their new home, overlooking the students and staff who pass by. This process of coordinating the installation and placing the gargoyles took one week.
