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50 Shades of Gray: Matching Concrete and the Challenges of Restoring Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple

Architecture fans plan pilgrimages to Chicago just to see key works by icons such as Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright in person. Gunny Harboe, an architect and preservation specialist heralded for his work with modern architecture, has had the pleasure of not only working on these masterpieces, but making sure crowds in the future may see these works in an even better state than visitors today. Between his current work on a collection of high-profile Wright works, including the Robie House, to previous gigs replacing the glass panes of Crown Hall, Harboe has overseen multi-million dollar restorations of some of the most famous structures in the country. Currently working on the Unity Temple, a project funded by the Alphawood Foundation and a recent Getty Grant, Harboe has probably spent more time inside Wright's iconic 1908 than anyone except the ministers.

Curbed spoke to Harboe about the difficulty of restoring an early example of reinforced concrete architecture.