n
e w y o r k c i t y
|
m. arch. i
october 1999 studio
profs.
julia bourke
&
howard davies
|
t k t s |
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This
studio focused on the redesign of the landmark TKTS at the infamous crossroads
of the world, Times Square. Following the guidelines of the open
international competition, this four week design project mandated the accommodation
of a small program and an adequate circulation conduit for 3000 ticket
buyers within a small area on the current TKTS site at the junction of
7th Avenue, Broadway and 47th Street. Perhaps the most stringent
regulation of the competition was a height constraint of 16'-0" in order
not to obstruct sight lines in the Times Square canyon.
The design presented employed a circular plan spanning the extreme maximum dimension of the site. This circular plate was pierced by an axis of a billboard-like element that served both to identify TKTS in harmony within the context of the Times Square billboard salad and to define an axis for half of the building, raised on rails and lit from below, to slide as an indicator of TKTS opening hours and direct circulation around it. As such, one side was emphasized with anchors into the ground and a solid, heavier material handling in order to contrast with the lighter, floating glass and lightweight steel-plated side. Fulfilling
the requirements of the competition to be prefabricated off-site, the structure
was based on a module of the circle and integrated throughout the design.
This project was an exploration of a design around the protruding TKTS
billboard that defined the hinge for a dynamic structure weighted in emphasis
toward 47th Street and a floating salute in the rear to Father Duffy's
statue and the incredible density of ticket buyers that circulate around
the statue with the rhythmic literal opening and closing of the booth.
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