This week, we received a very exciting visitor: Jacinda Collins from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) stopped into the office to present GMS with the 2019 AISC Ideas2 Presidential Award for Erection Engineering to Facilitate Adaptive Reuse for our project at the iconic 75 Rockefeller Plaza.
Although we were honored to receive the award in 2019, we were thrilled to finally meet with AISC and receive the beautifully engraved crystal award in person.
From left to right: GMS Partner, Ramon Gilsanz; GMS Associate Partners Vicki Arbitrio and John Hinchcliffe; and AISC’s Jacinda Collins
Originally built in 1947, 75 Rockefeller Plaza is a 625,000 sf New York City landmark that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In 2013, RXR Realty purchased the building from longtime owners, Time Warner (now WarnerMedia), and began the redevelopment. GMS worked in collaboration with architects, Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), and steel fabricator, erector, and detailer, Orange County Ironworks LLC, on the top-to-bottom overhaul of the building. The project included the reconfiguration of the lobby into a double-height, 24-ft-high space, which required the intricate transfer of four existing building columns and an upgraded entryway. Additionally, the elevators, electric, and HVAC systems were all updated and a new irrigation system was added to collect rainwater for the new roof terraces. Since the renovation, the building has received LEED Gold certification.
Maggie Kwan, AECOM Tishman and General Contractor Judge, said, “This is one of the most skillful construction and erection projects for [2019’s] submission.”
Thank you to AISC and our project partners. We are honored and humbled to receive this award! To read more on the project and additional winners, view the awards booklet here.