Duffy Square in New York - one of the attractions, and a frequent item on the itinerary of tourists. It is the northern part of the famous Times Square.
Lovers of history, may want to look at this monument to the father of Francis D. Duffy, the hero of the First World War, but habitue Broadway theaters long ago protoptali here a track from another, is also a monument of its kind - booking booth TKTS, administered by the Theatre Development Fund.
Since its opening in 1973, TKTS has become a place for fans of cult dramas, plays and musicals, people, love going to concerts, and various dance shows. And it is not surprising, because in the TKTS to buy tickets at a discount of 25-50% of the nominal value.
In fact, New York, there are a couple cash registers TKTS, but because of its location and the championship is at booth Times Square has become famous. Has built its local architectural company Mayers & Schiff Associates. Moreover, built using a very limited budget (the city has allocated to the pavilion is $ 5 thousand) and a lot of leased parts of its unusual design.
At its core lay a few old construction trailers. These authors cashier tubular timber mounted on the cloth which sprained named TKTS. Giant letters serve as design elements, and the cloth cover of buyers from the wind and sun. As the piles were not there to slaughter (the subway passes shallow), the whole "kite" held in place with heavy loads.
And I have to say, despite this "shifting" design, a long held - until the present day. TKTS enjoyed not only the passers - its appreciated and specialists: theatrical booth at Times Square has won several awards in the field of architecture and urban design.
A new twist in the history of the famous cass occurred at the end of last century when it was decided to reconstruct the Duffy Square, including - to build anew the famous booth TKTS.
In 2000, the Theater Development Fund has held the contest, which won the Australian architects Ropia Thai (Tai Ropiha) and John Choi (John Choi). They were invented to cover the cash drop-down the red staircase (possibly as an indispensable Association red track at the awards ceremony for the various film, theater and music competitions).
The original idea, this ladder was to start directly from the feet of his father Duffy.
For various reasons, the realization of the project was delayed, and in 2006 of Times Square Alliance and the Coalition for Father Duffy, together with William Fellows Architects presented an updated version of the project, including the expansion of Duffy Square at the expense of annexing one lane of Broadway and Seventh Avenue.
In the end, the architectural company Perkins Eastman created the final version of the reincarnation of the famous hut, the basis of design and Ropia Choi. But has invented a remarkable improvement - construction should be made of glass, with the top of the stairs - as well.
Ruby-red stage must be highlighted LEDs, the architects decided. And the truth, one of the notable features of Times Square - rampage the night lights, a remarkable, even for New York. Why violate the tradition?
The length of this facility ('s consent to start almost from the pedestal Duffy) was 20 meters, the width of the lower level - 13,7 m, the last - a few more. All levels - 27.
The latter raises the audience (and it is Times Square - has a decent catcher, is not it?) To a height of 4.9 meters above the pavement 47 th Street.
At the same time on the stairs can be located hundreds of people. If you stand straight rows at each step - all of 1500.
And this is a very useful property of the new facilities - at the moment of celebrating New Year, people in the Times Square-stuffed apparently invisible. And yet look at the southern area, where in the last moments of the year takes place the fall of the famous glowing ball (Times Square Ball) and where in the huge screen is countdown.
But on the ladder of red glass innovations TKTS does not end there. As you are, for example, geothermal defrosting system for the stages?
Under the reflectors are rows of tubes in which circulates a special solution - heat. This liquid passes a closed system consisting of pipes, which go for 137 meters into the ground.
It enjoys year-round temperature of 13 ° C, which allows the system to cool the pavilion during the summer and heat it, including a roof-level in winter.
October 16, 2008 and updated the new TKTS Duffy Square was inaugurated Mayor Bloomberg (Michael Bloomberg) in the presence of several Broadway performers.
The final price of new buildings (as it has consistently grown to the extent of construction, shedshego more than two years) was $ 19 million, of which $ 11.5 million were paid the city. In a certain sense of "temporary" TKTS, existed for more than three decades, to avenge the "greed" of New York in the early 1970's.
During all this time, curiously, gave way to the six mayors, and through the windows at the TKTS Duffy Square was realized 51 million tickets.
Tim Tompkins (Tim Tompkins), president of Times Square Alliance, described the new TKTS "bright light in a dark economic time."
New York Times writes that when the opening ceremony of the box-ladder Michael Bloomberg spoke of the importance of investing in culture and the arts, the clouds above Times Square and thought the sun dispersed. "Sun believes that I am right," - laughed the mayor.
No comments:
Post a Comment