A fresh old face.(refurbished public buildings in Philadelphia and New York)

Extensive exterior restoration efforts revive the faces of two historical buildings

There comes a time when even the most celebrated building exteriors are in despair. While interior spaces tend to be regularly renovated and upgraded to keep historic buildings functional, the exterior envelope may often be subject to minimal or sub standard maintenance, resulting in leaking roofs, crumbling facades and rusting metals details -- a face with a frown.

In the past, these ailing structures were often demolished in favor of more modern equivalents. Today, however,