2024 ACEC New York Diamond Award—Fairfield University Leo D. Mahoney Arena
The Leo D. Mahoney Arena at Fairfield University opened in November 2022, replacing the outdated Alumni Hall and offering an 85,000-square-foot venue with a curved roof and shaded glass facade. GMS served as the structural engineer for the project led by Centerbrook Architects & Planners, featuring a design that includes a three-level seating arrangement accommodating 2,400 spectators and extensive amenities like locker rooms, lounges, and training facilities. The arena, recognized for its excellent sightlines and modern infrastructure, hosts a variety of events including sports games and campus gatherings. Completed within its $51 million budget, the arena stands as a contemporary and functional addition to Fairfield University, embodying both architectural homage and practical innovation.
2024 ACEC New York Platinum Award—Two Bryant Park Repositioning
The repositioning of Two Bryant Park, formerly 1100 Avenue of the Americas, represented a transformative endeavor in modernizing the building into a premier office and retail destination. GMS served as the structural engineer and provided crucial roles as structural special inspector, along with offering expertise in waterproofing design and construction phase inspections. Achieving LEED Gold certification and a WELL Health-Safety rating underscored the project’s commitment to sustainability and occupant well-being. Completed within its $120 million budget in April 2022, the revitalized structure now stands as a resilient and highly functional asset, meeting stringent standards and exceeding client expectations.
34th Annual Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award—Lever House, 390 Park Avenue
Lever House has been hailed as an icon of the International Style since it opened in 1952. Skidmore Owings & Merrill designed a new type of modern skyscraper, with a blue-green glass and steel façade, an elevated terrace, and a lobby that extended through glass walls into a public plaza. But after 70 years of operation, some of the building’s original elements started showing their age. Inside, mechanical systems were long past their design life. A new air blower system was installed to ensure dry conditions at the curtain wall where condensation had left moisture in the spandrels. Historic fabric at the ground floor was deteriorating and diminished by patchwork repairs. This project restored the entire space. The lobby’s plaster ceiling was replaced. The black limestone wall, which serves as a backdrop to the plaza and lobby has been re-honed, reset, polished, and cleaned. Stainless steel columns inside and out were restored. The white marble in the lobby and at an exterior planter was repaired or replaced in kind. The exterior paving was replaced to match the original and the interior terrazzo flooring refinished. As an ensemble, this series of repairs has renewed a sense of continuity at the ground level.