Hudson Yards mall

1) Hudson Yards mall - 10th avenue curtain wall

Challenge

  • The 35ft aluminum mullions have a custom shape, and must be reinforced with a continuous steel bar insert.

  • But sliding such a long and heavy steel bar inside an aluminum mullion is very delicate, may cause damage to the finish.

  • It also would take 70ft of space in the shop, thus creating additional work to set the connections between vertical and horizontal mullions.

Solution

  • For the interior side of the aluminum mullion, develop a custom aluminum extrusion to clad the steel separately, on the field.

  • For the exterior side, use a standard "tuning fork T profile" with a standard "pressure plate", and simply screw it to the steel bar, in the shop. By doing so, we know that the system is already tested and certified waterproof.

Brand new construction of a luxury mall located in the heart of Manhattan. Our scope is 6 glass curtainwalls and 4 entry vestibules to access The Shops.

2) Hudson Yards mall - Canopy above public entrance

Challenge

  • The triangle-shaped side of the canopy must seem to be horizontal ;

  • But actually the roof of the canopy must tilt backwards to the gutter in the canopy, located just under the glass of the curtainwall.

  • The exact shape of that triangle-shaped piece is critical in order to look level, must be as thin as possible, but tall enough to clear the red iron steel and give enough pitch to the roof towards the building.

Solution

  • Extract the triangle shape from the Autocad file and cut it in plywood with the waterjet, as a mockup.

  • Set this wood mockup on the field, and see what dimensions must be tweaked. Assume the canopy will sag 1" through years to come.

  • Then draw in 3D Cad the final stainless piece, determine the unfolded flat, cut it flat on the waterjet, V-groove the exposed bends, bend all the lips, weld the corners.

  • Then install at the location driven by the wood mockup.

3) Hudson Yards mall - 6th floor restaurant curtain wall

Challenge

  • The parapet above the curved curtain wall must be insulated and then waterproofed.

  • Following an imaginary rain drop dripping from the top of the parapet membrane and rolling to the bottom of glass, we must maintain a continuous Air-Vapor-Barrier (AVB) until the rain drop reaches the wheep hole of the curtain wall.

  • But, along the way, this AVB must vary from outboard to in-board, then to out-board again.

Solution

  • Aluminum honeycomb is, in itself, already a waterproof AVB, and does not need to be covered by a membrane, contrary to plywood.

  • Then, using adhesive foil-tape, we simply cover the open joints in between panels and the heads of screws.

  • This will redirect any liquid moisture drop towards the top horizontal mullion, then towards the wheep-holes.