Tag Archives: renovation

Featured, Property Manager, Renovation

Madison Avenue Storefront & Basement

Madison Avenue Commercial Renovation

Scope

On a prominent street corner in the Upper East Side, a property manager sought to reposition a ground floor space to attract new commercial and retail tenants. The project scope included a complete gut renovation and re-design of the 9,100 sq. ft. space, including the basement and entire retail storefront. EDG provided structural analysis, spatial studies, tenant-specific layouts, and full architectural and structural design services.

Approach

The existing building was extremely fortified, enclosing invaluable real estate and separating the interior from the street. EDG analyzed the load-bearing structures, discovering opportunities to reduce walls and open the floor up to the outside. Working within tight structural constraints, EDG enhanced customer experience by relocating stairs, introducing expansive windows, and optimizing floor layouts. The team supported the owner’s ongoing search for tenants, providing several renderings on quick turnaround, customized to individual commercial and retail prospects.

Impact

The re-imagined space at the intersection of Madison Avenue and East 80th Street draws pedestrians into an immersive environment that blends retail sales with a lifestyle embodying its products. With a distinct sensitivity to material design, brass and brown fiber cement finishes respond to the surrounding residential context. A new basement skylight and warm wood finishes create an airy, contemporary ambiance. Making the most of the existing configuration, the new commercial space breaks down barriers between interior and exterior, passerby and customer.

Construction Cost: $1.5 Million

Corporate, Renovation

VANS Herald Square

VANS Herald Square

Scope

Growing VANS’ “Off-The-Wall” legacy, the leader in footwear and skateboarding sought to open a new store in Herald Square. Located less than 100 yards away from Manhattan’s busiest intersection, the existing four-story, 100+ year old structure required an extensive gut renovation. RGLA engaged EDG for structural design services, including the creation of 20-ft. high ceilings above the retail space, a new elevator installation rising from the basement through fourth floor, a new stairwell installation connecting the first and second floor, and a refreshed storefront conveying the VANS brand.

Approach

The existing structure was a complicated amalgam of previous renovation campaigns, which became an unwieldy patchwork of century-old building materials and techniques mixed with modern construction. With deep knowledge of both historic and modern construction, EDG analyzed the conditions and employed best practices to bring the project vision to fruition. To create the double-height ceilings, EDG removed the third floor in its entirety – a task which required the removal of an exterior masonry wall and load transfer to a new steel support structure hidden within the walls and ceiling of the second floor below.

Impact

Given the location’s prominence, it was imperative to open the retail space prior to Black Friday. By engaging modern structural analysis software, EDG was able to immediately update designs based on architectural revisions and in-field conditions. Providing constant onsite representation throughout the tight construction schedule, the EDG team was responsive to all unexpected conditions and updates. From initial concept through close out, the entire project was completed in less than six months, with the store opening before Thanksgiving. The exciting new space transformed a complex existing structure into an immersive customer experience center, expanding VANS’ street culture influence in the heart of Manhattan.