One Times Square Renovation Wins ENR Regional Best Project

The revitalization of One Times Square earned another award, this time being selected as the ENR East Best Project Winner in the Renovation/Restoration category.

Transforming this historic, but outdated 1904 steel-framed office structure—known universally for hosting the New Year’s Eve ball drop— required far more than conventional structural renovation strategies. Occupying a tightly constrained, trapezoidal 5,400 SF footprint directly above and adjacent to the active, highly trafficked Times Square subway complex, the DeSimone team significantly adapted the structure to support considerable new architectural features and public spaces such as retail, space for brand experiences, and a Times Square history museum.

To support the new gravity and lateral demands associated with the building’s new program, we introduced a dramatic 55-foot cantilevered steel viewing deck extending from the north façade at the 19th floor as well as glass elevator landings and walkways cantilevered from the façade above Broadway, allowing visitors to look down directly to the street below. We also preserved and fortified the original skeletal steel structure through targeted structural strengthening and stiffening to control movement. Existing framing members below floor 19 were encased to create a continuous load path, and new braced frames added at lower levels resist increased lateral demands. Additional structural interventions included a new exterior glass elevator system traveling along the outside of the building.

Through comprehensive vibrational analyses, we determined that three tuned mass dampers (TMDs) were required to control movement. Strategically located at the far end of the 55-foot cantilever, the TMDs maximize performance and enhance occupant comfort.

This highly collaborative effort brought together the expertise of our structural engineers, vibration analysis experts, and steel detailers.

DeSimone Team: Managing Principal Mark Plechaty, PE, Associate Asim Khan, PE, Project Manager James Brightney, PE, Senior Associate Kurt Strobel, PE.