One Times Square, an advertising icon since 1996, has undergone incredible architectural and sign changes within the last year. For starters, the building’s south, east and west sides were recently adorned with 17,000 sq. ft. of LED displays for the Walgreen’s sign package (see ST, May 2009, page 60). In its latest incarnation, the entire top of the building was reinforced with galvanized steel, and another sign structure was added, along with a new mast to support the new New Year’s Eve Time Ball on the roof.
Brian Turner, president of Sherwood Outdoor (NYC), said, “The first question that new visitors to Times Square ask is, ‘Where is the New Year’s Eve Time Ball, and which building is it lowered from?’”
To resolve that issue, Turner said a bigger New Year’s Eve Time Ball makes it visible 24/7, all year long, until it reverts to its famed, end-of-year placement atop the mast.
Adjoining the New Year’s Eve Time Ball, a set of open channel letters notes the current year. The new ball, a 12-ft.-tall geodesic sphere, doubles the size of previous versions and weighs 11,875 lbs. Designed by Lighting Science Group (Sacramento, CA), the ball is covered in 2,668 Waterford crystals and powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.
Structural engineer R. Scott Lewis, who designed both structures, said creating the 25th-floor roof-sign structure posed many challenges, such as lifting the structural members to the roof, reinforcing the building to support the extra weight and handling the substantial, additional wind load.
Lewis said, “We were also concerned about providing safe access for maintenance of the LED sign, so we designed a stairway into the set of walkways, which are spaced every 8 ft. up the back of the sign.”
At the construction phase, DCM Erectors (NYC) assembled a temporary, roof-mounted, stiff-legged derrick atop the roof and used it to lift up the carefully detailed and fabricated structural steel elements, walkways and a stairway.
In order to strengthen and reinforce the steel structure of this 100-year-old building, new diagonal, steel members were welded into the existing building structure; they extend eight floors down from the roof into the heart of the building structure. At the rooftop level, a new platform of dunnage beams provides a level surface that supports the new roof-sign structure and the mast.
Time Ball and mast redux
The 149-ft.-tall New Year’s Eve Time Ball mast is a 30-in.-diameter tube that comprises a series of pipes welded into one piece, and then hot-dip galvanized, inside and out. The 149-ft.-tall mast distinguished itself as reportedly, one of the longest pieces (of anything) ever trucked into NYC.
Once the sign structure (which equals the height of a six-story building) was completed, Toshiba leased the sign space (formerly occupied by the Discover Card sign) and acquired the newly minted rooftop sign. LED-tile modules were then attached to the front of the sign to finish the Toshiba display. NYC-based Landmark Signs constructed the sign structure and attached the mast to the roof.
The WOW Factor (Los Angeles) developed content. Company president Don Blanton said, “With Toshiba in possession of both signs, the lower sign will concentrate on Toshiba’s brand and its products. The upper sign will also present Toshiba branding, and also take advantage of its position directly below the New Year’s Ball to promote the ball year-round and become more proactive during the annual New Year’s Eve celebration.”
Blanton plans to engage consumers with the brand, which can be seen not only in Times Square but also all the way to Central Park.