Town officials this month approved funds to power-wash and repaint the exterior of a historic structure in Irwin Park.
The Gores Pavilion—designed by Harvard Five architect Landis Gores as a winter lodge and summer pool house—was dedicated in 1960 at a grand surprise party arranged by Philip Johnson in honor of Gores himself.
During their June 3 meeting, members of the Board of Selectmen approved an $8,690 contract with a Stamford company to power-wash, scrape, prepare and paint the building’s exterior.
The building was painted about eight years ago, according to Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings in the New Canaan Department of Public Works.
“It requires overall maintenance on the painting end because of the type of materials that are on that building,” Oestmann said during the Board’s regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And it’s historic in nature, so we have to keep up with the maintenance on it. It was a challenge way back, around storm Sandy, when that building was shadowed for many years with all the pine trees. Sandy took care of that for us.”
First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the contract with Aladdin Services.
Carlson noted that while the town owns the building, the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society maintains the interior.
Oestmann noted that earlier this year, municipal officials met with the nonprofit organization to review roles and responsibilities “and we revised it to reflect that we’ll do the exterior, you guys own the inside.”
The selectmen asked who is responsible for windows (not sure), whether the town maintains the roof (yes though it was recently redone) and how many years the new paint job is expected to last (eight to 10 years).
Murphy Carroll said the town has “complicated relationships” similar to Gores in terms of its responsibilities with building.
“I’m always curious how Gores is actually used except that it’s a visual,” she said.
Oestmann said that NCM&HS opens the building several days per week and that special events have been held there.
Carlson noted that there are many restrictions with respect to Irwin Park and that “park restrictions restrict the use of the Gores Pavilion.”
According to the NCM&HS website, the Gores Pavilion “is an architectural jewel.”
“It has an enormous hinged glass façade and dramatic cantilevers,” the website says. “The façade columns draw their inspiration from Mies van de Rohe’s Barcelona pavilion. The horizontal redwood boarding provides a heavy shadow pattern prevalent in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian houses, and a Prairie-style fireplace runs floor to ceiling. The galley kitchen looks out over what are now the walking trails of Irwin Park. The furniture was designed by legendary designer Jens Risom.”