The decade-long project combined meticulous restoration of an early 1900s-era building with the addition of a complementary 24-story tower, creating a unique hospitality experience that features more than 150 elegantly designed suites.

Preserving the building’s historic elements involved restoring intricate masonry, iconic cornices and grand windows, while the new tower features a sleek, modern facade. Integrating construction with the landmark structure, the team ensured the new tower did not overshadow the historic building while meeting modern codes and amenities.

Creating a new lobby and facade component that were not part of the original structure required constructing elements and windows that matched the historic design, showcasing careful attention to detail and preservation. High-quality materials played an important role in integrating the old and new, while energy-efficient windows and insulation materials enhanced sustainability without compromising the building’s historic character.

Photo courtesy CNY Group

To create an acoustically insulated ballroom, an innovative kinetic slab system consisting of nearly 180 spring cannisters was poured atop an existing terra-cotta slab. Once cured, each canister was torqued in increments to lift the new kinetic slab and achieve the desired air gap. Two layers of drywall ceilings are held on kinetic springs to further isolate the ceiling from the slab above.

The team worked closely with local authorities to manage street closures and deliveries, minimizing community impact. Detailed traffic management plans and offsite staging areas reduced onsite congestion. Building the existing vault slab in three phases complicated equipment and staging logistics.

Accessing primary electrical power from Fifth Avenue required constructing a concrete conduit duct bank in the cellar floor’s ceiling space. Due to limited roof space, custom and innovative rigging supports allowed workers to perform facade work on a suspended platform connected by monorail with a separate material hoist. The project achieved remarkable safety performance, with zero recordable incidents and no lost-time accidents over 818,500 work hours.