Times Square - Sound Installation
The work of art, Times Square is an invisible, deliberately unmarked area of sound at the north end of the pedestrian island at Broadway between 46th and 45th Streets. Conceived and originally installed by artist Max Neuhaus, it provides a rich harmonic sound texture that emerges from a large underground vault covered by a grating.
Commenting on artwork, Neuhaus has said, "For those who find and accept the work's anomaly, the island becomes a different place, separate, but including its surroundings. People, having no way of knowing that it has been deliberately made, usually claim the work as a place of their own discovering."
Installed by the artist in 1977, the artwork remained active until 1992, when Neuhaus moved abroad. In 2002 it was reinstated with the help of the Times Square Business Improvement District, MTA Arts for Transit, and the Dia Art Foundation, which will assume responsibility for its upkeep.
US Armed Forces Recruiting Station
The U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square signs over 1,000 applicants every year. It has been on this spot since 1946, and was granted indefinite free use of the land it is on in 1950. The current building, which was constructed in 1999, resembles a three-dimensional U.S. flag.
TKTS Booth and the Redevelopment of Father Duffy Square
The new TKTS booth and the redevelopment of Father Duffy Square create a new center for Times Square, one of the world's most popular and iconic destinations. The project began in 1999 with a design competition to re-design the popular TKTS booth. While the competition brief simply requested designs for a small scale architectural structure to replace the existing ticket booth, Australian firm Choi Ropiha reframed the problem as one requiring a broader urban design response to invigorate and provide a center for Times Square, and won the competition.
In 2001, Perkins Eastman was brought on board to evaluate the Choi Ropiha scheme, and developed several approaches and from those a final design which, while informed and inspired by the original concept, used a distinctly 21st Century set of approaches: glass would now be employed as the TKTS Booth's sole structural component for the steps and the TKTS Booth itself would be free standing within the glass enclosure. Cutting-edge technology was integrated throughout the lighting and mechanical systems as well. LED arrays beneath the steps create buoyant luminescence underfoot. Five geothermal wells circulate a water/glycol mix 450 feet below Broadway and back again through heat exchangers that cool the interior in summer, warm it in winter and keep the staircase ice free. Completing the transformation of Father Duffy Square was the work of William Fellows (now with PKSB), who transformed the public space of the square to allow for increased pedestrian traffic and more prominence for Father Duffy's commanding statue.
Restoration and rehabilitation of this historic theater was the first significant step in the renaissance of popular entertainment in the landmark 42nd Street District. Built in 1900 by Oscar Hammerstein, the New Victory is New York's oldest surviving theater.
Due to the intricacy of interior detail and numerous modifications over time, H3's staff began the project with an existing conditions report in order to create a master plan for restoration and rehabilitation. The program included expansion of the lobby and basement, creation of an upper lobby, and restoration of the facade and all interior elements, including detailed plaster and wood work.
Upgrades were made to the theater's technology and infrastructure to accommodate contemporary needs, an elevator was added, an infill building was renovated to serve back-of-the-house functions, and new equipment was installed.
Wrought iron stanchions and new seats were patterned with the same bumblebee motif used in the original plasterwork. Elaborate stacked boxes on either side of the stage, faux plaster draperies, and gilded plasterwork including fleur-de-lis, laurel wreaths, and winged female figures were repaired and refinished.
On the exterior, the grand double stair was re-created, complete with ornate, standing globe lamps.
The New Victory is now New York's first major midtown theater offering year-round programming for young audiences.
The New 42nd Street Studios
This new 11-story building houses rehearsal and performance studios, a 199-seat black-box theater and support spaces for non-profit groups.
4 Times Square, The Condé Nast Building
Designed by FXFOWLE ARCHITECTS, 4 Times Square, The Condé Nast Building is one of the strongest demonstrationsof the firm's leadership in sustainable design. At the time it was completed, the 48-story, 1.6 million-square-foot tower was the first sustainable skyscraper in the United States—and one of the only such speculative projects in the world. The project was a model for its integrated process from the start, and became a catalyst for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating program by setting a new national standard for environmentally responsible commercial projects. As the first tower of the 42nd Street redevelopment project the Condé Nast Building embraces the essence of Times Square while meeting the needs of corporate tenants. A varied composition of interlocking, set-back forms and façade treatments respond to the diverse scale and character of the neighboring buildings. As the building rises, a collage of volumes, surfaces and super-scaled signage draws vitality from the street and evolves into an integrated composition culminating in a highly-energized finial. All building systems and construction technology were evaluated for their impact on occupant health, environmental sensitivity, and energy reduction, making this the first project of its size and type to adopt state-of-the-art standards for energy conservation, indoor air quality, recycling systems, and the use of sustainable manufacturing processes. 4 Times Square has been featured in hundreds of architecture, design and trade publications and newspapers in the United States and throughout the world. As the Green Movement continues to gain momentum in the architectural and design industries as well as the press, 4 Times Square remains at the forefront as the issues of indoor air quality, employee health, environmental sensitivity, and energy reduction become more and more relevant.