Design in 5
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
7:00 p.m.
TKTS Booth, Times Square
This program was part of the 2008-09 program calendar. Click here for information about our current season.
Nicholas Leahy, principal at Perkins Eastman, will give a behind the scenes tour of the recently opened TKTS booth in Times Square. Leahy along with structural engineer Michael Ludvik from Dewhurst Macfarlane will discuss the structural innovation and construction challenges of the project. The conversation and visit will be a revealing look at an iconic piece of infrastructure within a highly urbanized site. Following the tour, casual conversation will continue over drinks at a nearby bar.
The project is the sculptural centerpiece of a major urban renewal project transforming Times Square. Resulting from a competition organized and managed by the Van Alen Institute in partnership with Theater Development Fund and NYC 2000 / New York City Millennium Committee, the design is based on the competition-winning concept drawing by Choi Ropiha. The design raises the profile of the Theatre Development Fund (TDF), which operates the booth to provide a discount outlet for tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. The all-glass structure rises over a fiberglass shell, which houses all the ticket office functions, including windows for distribution. The booth includes LEDs to illuminate the red glass and a geothermal system with two parts – radiant panels to provide heating and cooling that regulates extremes under the steps, and an air handler for comfort in the booth. The design cleverly uses custom-made pieces that can be assembled on-site with minimal disruption to the high-traffic site.
Nicholas Leahy is a principal at the New York office of Perkins Eastman, a global architecture and design firm. His design methodology aims “to investigate each site’s relationship to its environment, history, and its intended use.” Leahy holds a Graduate Diploma in Architecture and Bachelor of Arts with honors, both from Oxford Polytechnic.
Michael Ludvik is a glass and special structures engineer with Dewhurst Macfarlane & Partners. The focus of his work has been in finding opportunities for architectural expression of structure. He received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from University of Sydney, Australia.
Drinks with a Designer is brought to you by Design in 5. Design in 5 is a group of the Architectural League of New York, formed for designers of all disciplines 5 years or less out of school. Design in 5 responds to this youngest group of designers, providing unique opportunities and activities for exchanging ideas across disciplines, fostering camaraderie, and above all, having fun. Join us on Facebook for additional programming and information.
Photo courtesy of Perkins Eastman
