Images of tyranny, concocted into an essentially abstract sequence, are projected over and within the clean white facades of official-looking buildings.
The city, aided by generous state and regional grants, spent close to $60 million to repair streets, restore buildings, clean facades and spruce up Palermo for the conference.
"Going back to the Woodstock era and the Age of Aquarius, an architect came up with this idea of a self-cleaning building where the rain would wash down this slick glazed brick and clean the facades," said Howard L. Zimmerman, an architect with experience in restoring white brick.
The Rutledge cleaned its facade, initially transforming itself into the Hotel Americana, housing young European travelers along with some continuing S.R.O.
Several years ago, the co-op of No. 1105 cleaned its facade, returning the brick and limestone to the way it must have looked in the 1920s.
Working with Allanbrook Benic Czajka Architects and the restoration contractor Preserv, she and her husband have cleaned the facade and created a double-height room in the back.
IN 1995 the co-op at 3 East 84th Street rebuilt and cleaned its facade, and last year the Marymount School reconstructed the sidewalk and ornamental areaway fence of the Thorne mansion at the Fifth Avenue corner.
The contrasting blank facades and unadorned interiors of 20th-century modernism were seen as clean, socialist and virtuous.
Since then, Mr. Augenbraum said, he and the trustees have increased the membership and the endowment as well as the library's literary activities, renovated its ground floor and cleaned its elegant white marble facade.
Volunteers will paint and clean up the facade of a building if the business owner provides the materials.
