Photo courtesy of Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y.
Photo courtesy of Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y.
Photo courtesy of Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y.
Photo courtesy of Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y.
Photo courtesy of Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y.
Located in Rye, N.Y., Playland Ice Casino is the only Art Deco and government-owned amusement park in the U.S. In 1927, the Westchester County Park Commission purchased two theme parks to redevelop and hired Frank Darling, a well-known amusement park man, to design, construct, operate and manage Playland. With assistance from architectural firm Walker and Gillette and amusement park ride creator Frederick Church, the park opened in 1928 and features a Dragon Coaster, the park's mascot and most iconic attraction.
The 80-feet-high Dragon Coaster has 3,400 feet of track and is one of about 100 wooden roller coasters still in operation in the U.S. The amusement park also is home to one of only three Derby Racer carousels still in existence.
In 1929, one year after opening the park, the ice casino was built. The facility includes a main ice rink, full dance floor on the second floor, a restaurant and an outdoor café. During a 1970's renovation, small and midsized ice rinks were added. The New York Rangers hockey team used the ice casino as its practice facility until 2003. The Manhattanville Valiants Men's Hockey Team from Manhattanville College, located in nearby Purchase, N.Y., currently plays its home games in the ice casino.
In 1987, the resort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. About 400,000 people visit the amusement park attractions every summer. Despite declining park attendance during recent years, Westchester County has affirmed its commitment to keeping the Playland Ice Casino site as public park land and currently is in the midst of a multiyear initiative to reinvent the 100-acre park. In 2014, Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y., renovated the ice casino's roof system.
Hurricane damage
When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012, it was the deadliest hurricane to reach the northeastern U.S. in 40 years. Its powerful winds and torrential rains damaged countless businesses and homes, causing $75 billion in damage.
Located directly on Long Island Sound with nothing standing between it and the hurricane, the park was heavily damaged. Officials estimated the storm caused $10 million in damage to Playland. The hurricane washed away parts of the boardwalk, destroyed equipment that was submerged during flooding, ripped shingles off the roof and jeopardized the ice casino's original roof system.
After the storm
The Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation provided a thorough report regarding the damage caused by the storm with recommendations for renovation. The project's goal was to restore the ice casino's roof system to its original Art Deco character-defining identity while achieving long-term performance and increasing energy efficiency.
The scope of work included installing a structural standing-seam metal roof system; replacing original wire and clad skylights with an impact-resistant, translucent daylighting system around the skating rink's perimeter; replacing the tongue-and-groove wood deck to provide the structural requirements for the lamella arch members; structural repair of hundreds of 3- by 16-inch lamella arch and truss members; lead abatement; installing a new lightning protection system; window repairs; installing permanent snow- and fall-protection systems; interior painting; installing a ground-mounted propane tank; and installing a rooftop dehumidification system.
A pivotal discovery
Various roofing materials were explored as options for the ice casino's roof, but structural standing-seam metal was deemed the best solution because of its ability to withstand harsh marine environments and hurricane-strength winds, energy efficiency, low life-cycle costs and minimal maintenance.
Scott Miller, president and owner of Milcon Construction, took a particular interest in the historical building. Renderings of the new roof system showed the ice casino's roof with silver metal panels and natural patina-colored panels, but something about the renderings didn't seem right to Miller. It wasn't the decision to use metal but the option of using a silver color.
The ice casino's historical photos that were referred to throughout the project only appeared in black and white; no documentation existed to specifically identify the original roof system's color. One photo from 1931 showed equally spaced striations/seams above the original wire and glass skylights at the lower roof periphery that mimicked standing-seam metal, but there was no indication regarding the metal type or color.
While doing some research at the Westchester County Historical Society, Miller came across an illustrated postcard titled "Board Walk and Beach, Playland, Rye Beach, N.Y." that depicted the ice casino with a green-colored roof. Measuring only 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches, the postcard became a pivotal part of the project. Miller shared his discovery with Anthony Ferantello, associate architect for the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation. Using the image Miller found, the design team was able to draw additional conclusions about the roof's color. As a result of Miller's diligence to historical accuracy, natural patina-colored aluminum panels were chosen for the final roof system design.
Skating through challenges
The ice casino's roof system is a large barrel-vault design with elliptical sides terminating with skylights. The main barrel-vault roof section is at the apex of a curvature that extends down both sides to lower areas that also are curved. These lower areas are slipped underneath the upper main barrel-vaulted roof area. The building's original 20,100-square-foot roof system was composed of built-up roofing, architectural fabric and asphalt shingles. Milcon Construction workers removed all materials down to the wooden deck.
The entire wooden roof deck was suspected of rotting, so workers had to manage typical fall hazards associated with a barrel roof, as well as a danger of falling through the roof. Workers wore safety harnesses throughout the project's duration and carefully planned for the safety lines. A permanent ABS Safety fall-protection system also was installed on the building.
Because one side of the building abuts Long Island Sound, it was difficult to remove the roof's torn-off debris. Milcon Construction devised a creative solution of installing a set of tracks up the side of the barrel roof to transport a small cart that mimicked a mining cart. The cart was used to remove debris to the lower roof area where it could then be transported across the scaffolding to a chute. On the remaining sides, new metal panels were lifted to the roof using a forklift.
A foggy situation
One of the major concerns with the building, even before the hurricane, was climate control. The building didn't have any insulation, resulting in overworked HVAC units and humidity issues within the building. The high levels of humidity caused condensation in the building, creating bumps on the ice rinks and raising safety concerns. To control these issues and create a more efficient building, a new wood roof deck was installed and polyisocyanurate insulation was added, bringing the R-value up to 20. A rooftop dehumidification system also was installed.
"Because the building sits directly on Long Island Sound in a damp area and the building houses ice skating rinks, there needed to be a lot of thought put into vapor retarders and flashings and transitions," Miller says. "Prior to us working on the project, the interior building would be foggy as a result of humidity. We helped successfully design the roof system to overcome the interior humidity issues."
Before the structural standing-seam aluminum panels were installed, they were covered with a Flurothane® Coastal coating, a heavy-duty coastal paint designed to protect the panels from harsh marine environments.
Because of the property's physical constraints, including the inability to access the roof from all four sides, a custom panel-overlap system was designed, keeping the panels shorter and more manageable. The 18-inch-wide, 0.040-inch-thick aluminum panels ranged in lengths from 21 to 48 feet and were roll-formed and curved on-site by the The Garland Co. Inc.
Typically, a barrel-vault roof has tapered panels to cover the full 180-degree termination points at each end of the barrel vault. However, in the case of the ice casino's roof, there were no tapered panels. The lower panels were tucked underneath the upper panels 8 inches and then mechanically assembled with sealants and watertight rivets to provide the same watertight integrity as a continuous panel. The termination method was to use truncated hip conditions. The hip trim components were fabricated in 18- to 24-inch lengths to conform to the roof system's curvature.
Additional tasks performed by Milcon Construction workers to return the roof to its original historical significance included removing the architectural fabric membrane and replacing the skylights around the ice casino's perimeter. The skylights were covered with opaque architectural fabric membrane because seagulls continually dropped clamshells on the original wire and glass skylights, cracking and breaking them. The new standing-seam 8,000-square-foot Wasco® daylighting system style matches the new standing-seam metal panels.
"Because of the building's shape, there needed to be precise measurements done for all parts of the roof system and daylighting system to fit together correctly," Miller says. "The tie-ins between each system were carefully planned and detailed."
Workers also installed a snow-retention system and a new aluminum ladder that was designed and fabricated to be Occupational Safety and Health Administration-compliant. The ladder was Flurothane Coastal-coated and contours the roof system's barrel design. In addition, existing flag poles and bases were restored.
A preserved icon
After four months of technical and historical detail challenges, Milcon Construction successfully completed the high-profile Playland Ice Casino project April 30, 2014, on time and without incidents or injuries.
Milcon Construction's contribution to the historical preservation of the ice casino extended beyond their skillful craftsmanship, and its strong commitment to the project led to a beautifully restored Art Deco building that will continue to be enjoyed by future generations. For its efforts on Playland Ice Casino, Milcon Construction was selected as a 2015 NRCA Gold Circle Awards finalist in the Outstanding Workmanship: Steep-slope category.
Chrystine Elle Hanus is Professional Roofing's associate editor and NRCA's director of communications.
Project name: Playland Ice Casino
Project location: Rye, N.Y.
Project duration: January 2014-April 2014
Roof system type: Standing-seam aluminum panel
Roofing contractor: Milcon Construction Corp., West Babylon, N.Y.
Roofing manufacturer: The Garland Co. Inc., Cleveland
Gold Circle Award: Outstanding Workmanship: Steep-slope category
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