~ngineers for an Icon The restoration of Radio City Music Hall returns a landmark to its original glory-with a number Downloaded from http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/memagazineselect/article-pdf/123/09/56/6383177/me-2001-sep3.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 of updates. By Ellen Lampert-Greaux ADIO CITY MUSI HALL is not only the largest theater in New York City, it is R easily the most famous. Built in 1932 as part of Rockefeller Center, it was hailed by The New York H era ld Ti·ihul1 e as " the most remarkable auditorium ever built." At the height of its glory, the hall was a glamorous showplace for first-run films and live entertainment on a sta ge that mea­ sures 144 by 66 Y2 fee t. With almost 6,000 seat, Radio City can host close to 36,000 gues ts in a single day, for in­ stance, w hen the annual Christmas Spectacular sell s out all six daily perform.ances. But things were not always cheerful at this bastion of pop­ ular entertainment. SAVED FROM THE WRECKING BAll In the 1970s, the building was slated for demoli­ tion, as incredible as that might seem today. An eleventh- hour award of landmark status in 1979 saved the structure from the wrecking ball. An icon of American art de co architecture, R adio City Music H all has received a much-needed restoration and is once again every bit as remark­ able as it was when it opened. Stretching along the entire block of Sixth Av­ Designers' reworking of the Music Hall's marquee included a return to historic neon colors. enue between 50th and 51st Streets in Manhat- tan, R adio City Music H all was originally designed by Pfeiffer Associates, spearheaded the eight-month renova­ architect Edward Durell Stone. Interior designer Donald tion of the facility, which was completed in the fall of 1999. Deskey was responsible for the styli sh look of the large Several specialist firms, most based in N ew York, also lobbies and lounges . worked on the project: Robert Silman Associates, structur­ Architect Hugh H ardy, principal of H ardy Holzman al engineers; M eyer, Strong & Jones Engineers, mechanical engineers; Fisher D achs Associates, theater consultants; El/en Lampert-Greallx is a freelall ce writer based ill New York. Fisher Marantz Stone, architectural lighting designers, and 56 SEPT EMB E R. 2011l MEC H AN ICA L E Cl EE R.I N C J Barr & Barr, construction managers. The acoustician, ]affe for a new theatrical lighting system. N ew ai r conditioning H olden Acousti cs, is based in N orwalk, Conl1. was installed and so was electrical power support for a new "This is an interpretive restoration," H ardy said. building-w ide voice and data communication system, as To give the building as mu ch of its original look as pos­ well a a street-side power and control room for remote sibl e, extensive research went into lighting fixtures, wall broadcasting trucks. coverings, furniture, carpeting, and curtains. At the sa me " Our chall enge was to update the mechanical and elec­ time, a number of contemporary updates deviated from trica l systems without disturbing the landmarked interi­ the ori ginal as needed. ors," Palucci explained. " All of the architectural fini shes When the army of architects, engineers, and consul­ were to be restored to their original condition, so our tants attacked the restorati on of R adio City Music H all, designs are conceal ed in bac k-of- house areas ." they discovered that many of the technical systems in the The consultants found that much of the original tech­ building were the same ones that were in place when the nology was still in place in the stage area as well. For ex­ building opened more than 65 yea rs ea rli er. ample, a vintage hydraulic system operated three stage John Palucci, an HVAC engineer, was project manager lifts and the orches tra lift. Downloaded from http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/memagazineselect/article-pdf/123/09/56/6383177/me-2001-sep3.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 for Meyer, Strollg & ]ones. His colleague, Trevor Rick­ etts, served as electrical engineer. According to Palucci, GUARDING THE LIFTS his firm was hired by R adio C ity's management before There is a story that, w hen World War II broke out, the renova tion began. guards were stationed by the li fts to make sure the tech­ "We cam e in to review the condition of the mechan­ nology was n't stolen, because it could also be used for ical and electrical infras tructure," Palu cci sa id . " Many aircraft carrier lifts. of the ys tems required attention ." That was because "Each lift had a big valve," sa id ] oe M obilia, project many sys tems dated back to 1932. Before th e renova ­ manager and associate principal at Fisher D ac hs Associ­ ti on was over, the theater receive d more than 1 ,000 ates . "These were the heart of the system, but they were miles of new wire. nursing the parts along and were rea ll y living on bor­ The electrical service was upgraded to support the plans rowed time. The fa ct that they were still working is a Hidden elements, including controls for the auditorium's sunset coves and hydraulic valves beneath the sta ge, were replaced during the restoration . M ECHAN ICAL E G INEER I NG SEPTEMBER 2001 57 tribute to Peter Clark, who installed the original system, the stage, where a driver hidden inside can take over to and the attention the staff gave to keeping it running." direct the vehicle across the stage. Although R adio City technicians (including C hris Also still in place are perforations for a steam curtain. R ober, who is responsible for the maintenance of the T hey run across the front of the stage, parallel to the lifts, and Eric Titcomb, who runs them during perfor­ footlights, and allow a curtain of steam to fill the prosce­ m ances) would have liked to keep the old sys tem in nium arch, enabling the R ockettes to make appearances place, the hydraulic valves were ultimately replaced. shrouded in mist. T his mea nt that the control system also needed to be Mobilia and the team of Fisher Dachs Associates collabo­ updated because the new interface could not communi­ rated with the mechanical engineers from Meyer, Strong & ca te with the bea utiful brass control panel that cam e Jones on many of the electrical and m echanical iss ues of with the thea ter. the renovation. "The engineers worked with us on adding If you go backstage today, you can see the panel still in extra power and redistribution of power throughout the place, with a computer console beside it. "The intention is building," Mobilia said. Downloaded from http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/memagazineselect/article-pdf/123/09/56/6383177/me-2001-sep3.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 that you can run the show from the computer or from the His fi rm also designed a new, highly sophisticated stage original panel (which has been updated) if yo u want to," li ghting system , with dimming and control equipment Mobilia said. The computer seems to be the control of from Electronic Thea tre Controls in Wisconsin and Eth­ choice for the new system, which was designed and in­ ernet connections for two-way cOlTIn1unication and dis­ stalled by J.R. Clancy ofSyracuse, N .Y. tribution oflighting protocol. O ther original elements incl ude a 43-foot-diam eter turntable that straddles the stage Lifts, an ice skating sur­ CABLES THROUGH THE WINDOWS face, and a car that can hold the orchestra . T he car can sit Before the renovation, electrical cables would often be on the lift to raise a 35-piece orchestra 13 fee t above the run throughout the building, som etimes in and out of stage. The lift also can lower the car full of musicians 27 upper story windows, for television broadcasts or other feet below stage level and bring it up again at the back of outside productions that rented the hall. The renova­ tion called fo r undedicated power lines and dis­ connect boxes to let television shows, such as the annual MTV Awards, tap into the building's power w ithout extensive cable runs. One of the unusual features of the auditorium is the barrel- vaulted ceiling, w ith color-changing "sunset" coves using a General Electric Thy­ ratron dimming system (which was also in place until the 1999 renova ti on). Today all of the light­ ing is run by new dimmers fro m Electronic Theatre Controls. The goal of architectural lighting throughout the building was twofold: to restore everything that w as there and to upgrade everything to m eet modern expectations. "The light levels were really low in some places, actually less than one foot-candle," said Scott H ershman, princi­ pal designer for Fisher Marantz Stone. Throughout the hall, the architectural light­ ing was updated, but with the sa me look as the incandescent so urces that were used in the pas t. "The halogen downlights are dimmed to warm them up," Hershman noted. "We looked at replacing some of th e lamps w ith more modern, longer-life sources, but found that the color rendering was wrong for the chara cter of the proj ect. There are a lot of reds and golds in the interiors." Just as H ardy H olzman Pfeiffe r worked to re­ store the original colors to the carpets, wall cov­ erings, and finishes, the lighting designers also worked to correct the color of the illumination.