Western Specialty Contractors Restores Iconic Giralda Tower in Kansas City

St. Louis, MO – Western Specialty Contractors – Kansas City Branch had the honor of restoring historic Giralda Tower in Kansas City, MO.

The brick, marble and stone KC landmark, a half-scale replica of Seville, Spain’s 12^th-century Moorish tower of Giralda, stands 138 feet tall in Country Club Plaza at West 47^th Street and Mill Creek Parkway. Designed by urban developer J.C. Nichols, Giralda Tower was officially christened in 1967 – the same year that Kansas City and Seville became sister cities.

Western was contracted by the owners of Country Club Plaza to address repair and maintenance items from the tower’s top patio down to its base. Project engineering and consulting was provided by THP Limited.

Scaffolding was erected around the tower to allow for safe work access and containment of construction debris. Western started Phase I of the project in the winter of 2020 and finished Phase 2 in 2022. Work included demolition and replacement of brick, cast stone, steel and other materials.

Western’s craftsmen salvaged existing, damaged pieces which were used to create rubber molds to cast the stone replacement pieces. Hoists were used to lift and set the new pieces in place. Sections of existing brick were removed to expose the original shelf angles. The old shelf angles were removed and replaced with new stainless steel shelf angles for the new brick. Miscellaneous tuckpointing of deteriorated mortar joints and replacement of damaged brick was also performed on the tower.

All existing sealants were replaced with new silicone sealants. Each concrete balcony was removed and replaced with newly casted, concrete fabricated bases. The marble baluster and railing pieces were salvaged, restored and reset. The final touches of the project included washing the facade to remove years of biological and atmospheric staining, followed by applications of a sealer and corrosion inhibitor to protect the masonry and concrete.

Challenges on the project included phasing work tasks appropriately to work through the winter to shorten the project duration, providing protection to allow pedestrian walkways and sidewalks below Giralda Tower to be used, and installing replicated materials to blend in with the original cast stone, brick and mortar joints.

The $1.9 million restoration project was completed within budget and on schedule in November 2022.