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Dive brief:
- Despite many unusual challenges, Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction recently completed a transformative repositioning project on a 100-year-old building at 712 Fifth Ave in New York City, according to a company press release.
- Shawmut connected and aligned the 52-story building with the building next door. This included realigning the floor plates, relocating columns and creating new elevator shafts.
- The renovation included the preservation of historic windows created by French designer René Lalique, the removal of obstructive walkways and the installation of a glass balcony to improve visibility and natural light.
Diving knowledge:
The base of the 650-foot-tall skyscraper includes the Coty Building and the Rizzoli Bookstore Building, both New York City-designated landmarks.
The transformation resulted in a new atrium and the expansion of a luxury store that spread over four floors.
“Making major structural improvements to an iconic building while preserving the original finishes was no small task,” said Dave Margolius, executive vice president of the New York metropolitan region at Shawmut. “The entire project team demonstrated the meticulous attention to detail and innovation that is necessary to execute this work safely and successfully.”
To ensure the structural stability, buildability and design elegance of the floating glass walkways, Shawmut used a 3D scanner to ensure a perfect fit between the custom-made composite steel beams and the balconies of glass Each balcony has eight pieces of double-glazed glass and cantilevered sections of the cornerstone to extend visitors beyond the atrium.
The renovation is one of the latest at Shawmut’s growing New York City portfoliowhich also includes work at the Hudson Research Center with Taconic Partners, the Four Twenty Five restaurant at 425 Park Avenue, and the ongoing Health Sciences Center at the University of St.
Last year, Margolius shared plans with Construction Dive to increase Shawmut’s presence in the New York metro region. Since then, in addition to various commercial, educational, health and life sciences projects, the company presented in May its new office in New York City.
