Originally completed in 1990, this Times Square tower is a 42-story, 685-foot office building in the heart of New York City. As part of a comprehensive renovation designed by Gensler, Enclos modernized portions of the building’s original facade at the podium and upper executive floors, improving thermal performance, structural performance, and daylight while the building remained fully occupied.
At the podium, Enclos replaced the original curtainwall with a new high-performance system designed to fit within the existing building envelope. The thermally broken curtainwall incorporates low-e insulating glass and blast-resistant construction, along with larger modules that include jumbo vision units measuring up to 15 feet wide by 10 feet tall. Extensive field investigation and surveying were required to reconcile the new system with existing structure and facade conditions that differed from the original documentation.
Maintaining building operations shaped both the design and installation approach. Temporary interior weather walls were installed before removal of the existing facade, allowing occupied spaces to remain protected throughout construction. When the original anchorage concept proved too disruptive for the occupied building, Enclos developed an alternate approach using core-drilled, post-installed anchors to reduce noise and vibration.
The Times Square location introduced another layer of complexity. With virtually no ground-level storage and sidewalks remaining open to the public, installation relied on tightly coordinated just-in-time deliveries. Curtainwall units were set by a 100-ton mobile crane operating from the street during restricted nighttime hours, requiring extensive coordination with multiple New York City agencies and stakeholders.
The upper floors required two more targeted retrofit strategies. At executive terraces, Enclos developed custom profiles to integrate new thermally improved curtainwall and glass screens with the original facade while maintaining continuity with adjacent glazing. At another executive level, the team retained and reinforced portions of the existing framing while replacing large spandrel areas with expanded vision glass. The custom reglazing solution increased daylight and created a more open appearance without requiring complete replacement of the existing curtainwall.
Completed in February 2026, the project demonstrates how multiple retrofit strategies, from full curtainwall replacement to highly customized interventions, can be applied within a single occupied building. Each solution responded to the existing facade, performance goals, access constraints, and ongoing operations while extending the life and performance of the building envelope.