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Case Study: Times Square NY Retailer Backlit Translucent Wall System
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| Feb 29, 2024 |
One of the world鈥檚 biggest retailers opened their doors in Times Square, New York at the end of October 2017. Welcoming local shoppers and tourists, its main entrance features a translucent wall system from Exterior Technologies, Inc. (EXTECH). Constructed of structural cellular polycarbonate in a branded blue, the exterior glows with custom backlighting.
The five-story co-located retailers are anticipated to be the retailer鈥檚 highest-volume stores in the world, with roughly 450,000 people passing through Times Square each day.
Attractive Aesthetic
Able to withstand New York鈥檚 changing climate and constant traffic, EXTECH鈥檚 LIGHTWALL 3440庐 was selected 鈥渇or its clean, frameless appearance; its soft diffused daylighting and its superior thermal performance,鈥� according to Kevin Smith, President at EXTECH.
鈥淎s our most popular product, LIGHTWALL 3440 offers a beautiful, durable and economical solution for building envelopes and skylights,鈥� notes Smith. 鈥淭his system does not require framing members within the field of the glazing, which allows for a clean, modern architectural aesthetic.鈥�
The store鈥檚 design meets precise brand standards as directed by the retailer鈥檚 global creative services. The blue polycarbonate panels are a custom hue that matches the brand鈥檚 color palette. EXTECH provided numerous samples to ensure the correct color and even light transmission.
Balanced for Backlighting
Spanning more than 5,000 square feet, the nearly 33-foot-high wall system consists of three individual rows 鈥� top and bottom rows are 8 feet 5 inches high, and the middle section is 15 feet 10-1/4 inches high. Two, frameless, polycarbonate, 127-degree corners face 44th and Broadway.
Each row is comprised of interlocking, structural cellular polycarbonate panels cut to 1-9/16 inches (40 mm) thick by 19-11/16 inches (500 mm) wide. The interior and exterior surfaces of the panels use a co-extruded, infrared-blocking material to filter out unwanted IR and UV waves. In addition, an anti-reflective material on exterior surface promotes balanced light filtration.
鈥淭he non-reflective material also enhances the panel鈥檚 exterior surface鈥檚 鈥榞low鈥� when backlit and eliminates distracting reflections from the numerous lights on Broadway,鈥� Smith explains. 鈥淲e assisted with six, large-scale, LED-backlit mock-ups utilizing a variety of panels to determine the optimum LED fixture type, color rendering index and panel type.鈥�
Precise Performance
Beyond optimal diffusion, EXTECH鈥檚 LIGHTWALL 3440 meets demanding performance specifications, including high wind loads, impact resistance, fire rating, air infiltration, water penetration, thermal and structural performance. Tested and proven to meet these criteria, EXTECH鈥檚 wall system is backed with a 10-year warranty.
The highly insulating wall system also supports the building owner鈥檚 focus on sustainability. The structural cellular polycarbonate panels and aluminum framing are 100 percent recyclable, and the aluminum is manufactured with 38.95 percent recycled content.
Enhancing its long lifecycle, the extruded aluminum framing and custom, offset, extruded aluminum mounting clips are finished with Class I Clear anodize finish.
鈥淲e developed the fa莽ade鈥檚 specialized mounting clips to minimize shadowing of building supports, while giving the panels lateral support,鈥� notes Smith. 鈥淭he custom clips 鈥� combined with our lightweight, tongue-and-groove panel system 鈥� helped complete the installation quickly and correctly.鈥�
Challenging 杏吧原版
Mistral Architectural Metal + Glass received the pre-fabricated EXTECH wall system at the job site in New York, and installed the unitized sections on site. Mistral worked closely with Schimenti 杏吧原版 throughout the 43-week schedule.
鈥淭he extremely crowded location, filled with tourists and passersby, created unique challenges, especially collaborating with the Times Square Alliance for exterior work and deliveries,鈥� said Schimenti鈥檚 project manager, Brian Tubman. 鈥淥n most sites, for instance, you don鈥檛 have to coordinate with the security staffs of ABC鈥檚 Good Morning America and MTV鈥檚 TRL!鈥�
Schimenti鈥檚 project executive Jesse Bochichio added, 鈥淭he store came out great and we鈥檙e looking forward to more work like this.鈥�
@extechinc #extechinc #aviation
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