Fifield Piaker Elman Architects completes first phase of $81m lobby renovation

The first phase of an $81 million capital improvements program at W&H Properties' 1400 Broadway - a top-to-bottom lobby renovation - is now complete, according to Michael Frantz, director of Newmark Knight Frank, the building's managing and leasing agent. The lobby and entrance of 1400 Broadway, originally designed by Ely Jacques Kahn in 1931, was redesigned by Fifield Piaker Elman Architects. The renovation features walls clad in book matched Italian marble panels, a new decorative ceiling composed of precast fiberglass reinforced gypsum panels and moldings, two new concierge desks with 24/7 security and new high-efficiency lighting. At the lobby entrance, a new bronze and nickel clad storefront and canopy has been installed, framed by new granite pilasters to match the original exterior stone. According to firm principal David Piaker, AIA, the completed design "restores the lobby and entrance to its former splendor while incorporating state-of-the art technology." The next phases of the improvements program include renovations of restrooms and air-conditioned public corridors, installation of new windows and HVAC systems, and upgrades to all building systems. The building is owned by 1400 Broadway Associates, L.L.C, a partnership led by Peter L. Malkin.