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Some of the art inside may date back more than 5,000 years, but the landmark facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is like new again.
"It's one of the city's great public spaces because it succeeds in both being grand and inviting at the same time," Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday at the official unveiling.
Workers spent four years cleaning the Fifth Avenue facade, which was added to the building in 1902. They replaced some of the stonework and stabilized the structure.
"The Metropolitan Museum of Art feels truly invigorated by this brisk and thorough cleaning," museum director Philippe de Montebello said of the $12.2 million project.
"The museum is aglow as never before in our lifetimes."
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