TKTS was opened in October 2008. It was a project that began nine years earlier with an international competition to re-design the existing TKTS booth at the centre of Times Square. The competition was the largest in New York’s history at the time and attracted 683 entrants from 31 countries.
While the competition brief simply requested designs for a small scale architectural structure to replace the existing booth, we reframed the problem as one requiring an urban design response. Our proposal for the new ticketing booth consists of a tiered red ‘resin’ staircase that rises to form a backdrop for the nearby statue of Father Duffy, simultaneously providing roofing to the booth and a public space above. The shell of the booth is lit from within, generating a powerful glow at night that strengthens the presence of TKTS, making it an iconic marker for Times Square. TKTS patrons and visitors alike are provided with a new place to pause and enjoy the theatre of Times Square.
The design's iconic strength has seen it become instantly part of the identity of the city and popular culture. It was featured in the Will Smith film ‘I Am Legend’, and recently it was featured in the music video of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ ode to New York, ‘Empire State of Mind’.
Widely acclaimed for the way in which both public and private benefits are derived whilst strengthening the underlying character of Times Square, it has received an unprecedented 18 international and national design awards.
The winner is really the winner. Seldom in a design competition with so many excellent entries is the winner so obviously the best choice. It goes beyond meeting the criteria and is even poetic (which is really hard considering the Times Square environment!) It will become a landmark.
Tucker Viemeister, Juror
Client:
TDF, Time Square Alliance, Coalition for Father Duffy, City of New York
Program:
Public Square, Ticket Booth
Scale:
300 sqm
Year:
1999 - 2008
Architects:
Choi Ropiha, Perkins Eastman, PKSB Architects
Scope:
Concept Design
Team:
Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners, DMJM Harris, Schaefer Lewis Engineers, Fisher Marantz Stone
Location:
New York, USA
Building Contractor:
Gorton Associates, D. Haller, Haran Glass with IG Innovation Glass
Status:
Built, Competition 1st Prize
Photography: John Saeyong Ra, Emile Wamsteker, Ari Burling
Professionals used in
TKTS Times Square
More projects from
CHROFI
About the
Professional
From practice beginnings with TKTS in Times Square New York in 2000, CHROFI has become renowned for designs that are inventive and responsive to particularities of locality, while meeting the client’s objectives and aspirations. Highlights from our two decades of history include the Maitland Riverlink Building that reconnects the town with its river; Lune de Sang that transforms a former dairy property to a sustainably harvested forest and retreat; Harbord Diggers Redevelopment that nestles a large club and housing development within a sensitive headland; The Goods Line that converts a former rail corridor into a new city destination; and the Ian Potter Conservatory Canberra that reinvents the performance and visitor experience of the traditional glasshouse.
We are one of the most awarded Australian practices of our generation. International recognition includes the New York Art Commission Award, 3 x World Architecture Festival Awards, 5 x Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Awards, and locally, the AIA Jørn Utzon Award, Sulman Medal, Walter Burley Griffin Award and the NSW Architecture Medallion. We are known for our integrated approach that delivers both private and public outcomes, enriching the life of cities. We are passionate about how the design of buildings and the public realm can shape and elevate the human experience. The firm’s work is frequently cited in media and government design guidelines, its design innovation taught through case studies at architecture schools around the world, and its buildings and places loved by clients and the community.
Central to the practice is the growing list of satisfied clients, who hire us for our ability to tackle complex project challenges and bring to life their vision. We work with public agencies, commercial organisations and private individuals across a broad range of project scales and typologies. From master planning and feasibility studies to tendering and construction, CHROFI provides a complete architectural service defined by a clear strategy, imaginative design, technical knowledge, and methodical project management. We make listening and design agility a priority so that our clients can be confident that their objectives will be delivered on time and within budget.
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