Project of the Month: ACC Construction completes construction of outdoor atrium and building lobby at Tower 45

A team of talented design and construction professionals including ACC Construction, LB Architects, Lukas Lighting and Shmerkowsky Engineers have recently completed construction of an outdoor atrium and building lobby at Tower 45, a class A commercial building at 120 West 45th St. The space was designed by LB Architects and is owned by SL Green Realty Corporation, who commissioned the redesign as part of a revitalization for Tower 45. The atrium and lobby designs feature a series of large, suspended geometric light fixtures, essentially squares of light nested in space. In the atrium the fixture is, in effect, a large sculpture; it is suspended from the ceiling height of 16 stories above street level to hang 25' and 40' above the floor. At 11,000 pounds, the lights approximately equal the weight of three cars. Suspending them from the top of the atrium required almost one mile of stainless steel aircraft cable, and required extensive engineering. Both LB and ACC worked closely with Lukas Lighting, who engineered and manufactured the lighting. In the process of working out the details for the lights, Lukas created a full-scale high-density styrofoam mockup that was suspended on location in the air to provide the designers with clear sense of the scale and balance of the piece in the actual space. As the design moved closer to final completion Lukas also created a full-size, metal section mockup including the lighting, which was hung outside for over a month to test for both waterproofing and LED output at night. Other features of the atrium include a water feature along the sidewall where water cascades down a series of marble blocks and new LED lights along the back wall in a configuration that mirrors the shape of the lighting. Inside, a smaller and more complex version of the light is hung in the lobby, where four concentric square lights hang above the reception area. A gypsum-cast wave wall behind the reception desk was also designed as a custom piece, and relates to the outside fountain. Additionally, ACC refurbished the elevator cabs and installed state-of-the-art turnstiles and a new security system. David Silverman, associate at LB Architects, explains that SL Green wanted an attention-grabbing feature for this 15-story atrium space. "We wanted to activate the space, and to energize it. There were several considerations, including upgrading the existing water feature, relating to the geometric grid of the architecture and adding something really dramatic. The goal was to invigorate the atrium and lobby by engaging the public, offering a public space off of the street, still uncommon in New York, with the end goal of attracting potential tenants." ACC Construction worked very closely with every other member of the team to deliver a seamless project. "We are very proud of this project," said Michele Medaglia, president and CEO of ACC. "It was challenging and exciting at the same time, and it was a very collaborative effort." Edward Piccinich, executive vice president, director of management and construction at SL Green, was instrumental in advancing the original design concept by LB Architects with the rest of the SL Green executive team to approve their vision and subsequent implementation. "We wanted to create something of tremendous magnitude, an architectural statement that people would remember. Both our existing and prospective tenants, as well as the general public, will benefit from the inviting feeling one now experiences when passing in front of the building. The Bobby Van's restaurant and BV's Burger take-out window in the rear of the atrium were brought in to complement the new renovations and enhance the image of the building that was in need of a transformation. We squarely hit it out of the park by creating a serene setting with the cascading waterfall, spectacular light fixtures and new finishes, and the entire project team did a terrific job in executing LB Architects' vision."