TOP OF THE ROCK REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

rtrtAWhen Tishman Speyer added the SKYLIFT attraction to the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the steel-erection challenge was unlike any we’d seen. As the erector subcontractor, Maspeth Welding was responsible for installing more than 40,000 pounds of miscellaneous steel reinforcement that supports a telescoping, 360‑degree rotating platform that rises 30 feet above the rooftop observation deck. 

We worked under tight constraints: maintaining full public access to the observation deck, transporting components through passenger elevators, staging and assembling at night, and dealing with restricted work areas. Because each steel segment had to fit into spaces no larger than 6'×4'×8', we fabricated them in smaller modules that were assembled onsite and spliced into place. American Institute of Steel Construction+1 Every connection was made to align with the project’s demands for precision, safety, durability, and design integrity. The result is a seamless integration of new steel elements that preserve the building’s historic character while enabling visitors to rise into the sky and take in sweeping views of New York City.

This major renovation project, which earned an AISC 2025 IDEAS² Award for Adaptive Reuse. 

Architect: Herzog and de Meuron in collaboration with PBDW Architects

Engineer: Silman

Builder: Gilbane Building Co.

Attraction Consultant: THG Creative

AISC-Certified Steel Fabricator: North American Manufacturing Corp.

Photography Credit: Michael T. Young

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