Penn 2 – Redesign of Two Penn Plaza

In 2014, Vornado Realty Trust engaged the GMS Building Envelope Group to assist in the re-design of Two Penn Plaza’s exterior envelope and plaza. The initial task was a feasibility study to explore possibilities for over-cladding the existing exterior wall.  Since then, additional studies, design possibilities, and structural support scenarios have been considered. While the transformation is still in progress, it is far enough along to see the “lines on paper” becoming reality.  The GMS team looks forward to completion and will be pleased to have worked on the project from start to finish.

Read more

Two Bryant Park

Work at Two Bryant Park, formerly known as 1100 Avenue of the Americas, is wrapping up after undergoing a complete transformation.  This 15-story office building located on Sixth Avenue between West 42nd and 43rd Streets, directly across from Bryant Park and adjacent to the Grace Building, offers exceptional views and amenities to its tenants. With floor-to-ceiling windows, this newly reflective façade is complimented by the structures and green space around it.  In addition to having views of Bryant Park, the building has convenient access to subways, Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Read more

GMS 2022 Work Anniversaries

This year is a big one for GMS work anniversaries. In 2022 – 31 years since GMS was formed – many of our employees will reach incredible milestones for their years dedicated to GMS.

Read more

GMS Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Thirty years ago, in 1991, founding partners, Ramon Gilsanz, Philip Murray, and Gary Steficek, came together to form Gilsanz Murray Steficek. Seasoned and established engineers, the three partners started GMS in an office at 95 University Place in Manhattan with one employee and one purpose: to provide structural engineering solutions to communities across the world.  

Read more

Form and Force – IASS Symposium

The IASS 60th Anniversary Symposium (IASS SYMPOSIUM 2019) and 9th International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures (STRUCTURAL MEMBRANES 2019) have merged into a joint international conference, FORM and FORCE 2019, aiming to provide a forum for state-of-the-art contributions and fruitful discussion in the broad fields of shell, spatial, tension and inflatable structures. The 2019 conference was held in October in Barcelona, Spain and it covered concepts related to material, design, computation, construction, maintenance, history, environmental impact and sustainability of shell, spatial, tension and inflatable structures in all fields of application.

Miguel Lopez of GMS presented a paper, Lateral Load Resisting Facades, co-authored jointly by the GMS Structural Engineers and Building Envelope consultants Miguel Lopez, Joseph Blanchfield, Philip Murray, David Kazibwe, Carolyn Bai, Ramon Gilsanz. The paper’s abstract follows:

Simple modifications to traditional curtain wall slab anchors allow designers to incorporate a structure’s building envelope system into its lateral system, leading not only to improved structural performance, but a reduction in the building construction’s carbon footprint. This approach of integrating architecture with structural design to optimize building performance and construction embodies the principles of efficiency, economy, and elegance championed by the late Princeton Professor David Billington. In this paper, the potential benefits of utilizing façade members to contribute to the building stiffness is studied by reanalyzing 510 Madison Avenue, a 2012 Class-A steel high-rise office building in Manhattan. The building’s lateral system is comprised of moment and braced frames. The building’s façade is a unitized aluminum curtain wall system that utilizes traditional curtain wall anchors designed to prevent the transfer of loads between the façade and the structure.

GMS Partners Philip MurrayRamon Gilsanz and colleagues Zoe Champion and Helena Ariza also attended the conference, noting the networking opportunities and planned workshops to learn about new software applications, among other things. For more information, click here.

Read more

Montroy DeMarco Architecture and 1 Oak Complete Mixed-Use Silver Star Building in LIC

Photo credit: Ola Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications

GMS provided structural engineering services for the core and shell of a new building of approximately 162,000 sf over 10 stories, plus a full cellar. The building includes a new car showroom with service / repair area at street level, a used-car showroom above, and parking garage below. The upper levels and the roof are designed for residential occupancy. The project is adjacent to the subway line running along Northern Boulevard, so approval of the MTA was required to obtain construction permits.

Read more

Manhattan’s Growing Sephardic Community Says New Center a Win for Ashkenazi Jews

This new temple and community center incorporates a pool in the sub-cellar, a wellness center, synagogue lobby and café at the ground level, an auditorium, with balcony, classrooms, offices, a double-story high gymnasium, a banquet room and rooftop play area as well as necessary ancillary spaces.  The building is approximately 170 feet tall and encompasses approximately 65,000 gsf.

Read more