Empire State Building
CHALLENGE
As the final component of the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding renovation and modernization program, BOCA Group was retained to oversee the upgrade and modernization of every escalator and elevator in the 103-story-tall Empire State Building. The goal: improved speed, energy efficiency and passenger experience. In all, 70 devices are included in the multi-year upgrade, including 68 elevators. Renovations must incorporate the latest technologies, yet be sensitive to the circa-1930 building’s historical significance, and must be done concurrently with an ongoing elevator shaftway rehabilitation project. Due to the building’s 1,454-foot height, massive elevator machinery is required, creating a challenge for disassembling, removing and replacing the existing, 30-year-old machinery in the building’s basement, which weighs up to 26,000 pounds. Because the famous building is both a busy workplace and the region’s No. 1 tourist attraction, it is imperative to maintain efficient service for the 10 million tenants and office and observatory visitors that use the elevators each year. Continuous maintenance must be performed on all the building’s equipment concurrently with the upgrades to ensure they are operating at peak performance.
WHAT WAS DONE
Working closely with Empire State Building Co., L.L.C., owner of the world-renowned structure, BOCA Group surveyed the existing internal transportation equipment and evaluated the building’s needs, taking into account such factors as performance, energy efficiency, noise, visitor experience, security, travel speed, traffic flow and scheduling logistics, as well as the need for historical preservation and uninterrupted service during construction. BOCA Group then designed the modernization project, created performance-based specifications for the necessary upgrades, put the project out to bid, and helped the building owners select an ideal partner to replace the existing elevators and escalators with state-of-the-art equipment: Otis. In addition to a complete refurbishing and modernization of the building’s elevators, Otis is implementing its Compass™ Destination Management system, which transports passengers to their destinations up to 40 percent faster than conventional elevators in other modern commercial buildings. Using Otis ReGen™ drives, the modernized elevators dramatically improve efficiency and the return of regenerated energy back into the building grid, reducing elevator energy usage by as much as 30 percent and helping the Empire State Building achieve the goals of its award-winning, $20 million energy retrofit project.
OUTCOME
With implementation of the multi-year elevator refurbishing project now under way, BOCA Group acts as an extension of the building’s management team, overseeing all aspects of implementation of the planned design. BOCA Group will spend several years coordinating the entire project with Otis, the building’s owners, the building security team, and all other involved parties, providing ongoing reporting and accurate scheduling to ensure minimal downtime for affected equipment. At the same time, BOCA hires contractors and oversees the ancillary construction and electrical work required to accommodate modern elevator equipment while maintaining the building’s historical integrity.
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