Page 4 - Javits Tour Booklet

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Expansion Project (Javits Expansion) will be a northward expansion of the
existing facility. The site for the expansion is bounded by 11th Avenue to the east, 12th Avenue to the west, 38th
Street (and the existing building) to the south, and 40th Street to the north. The two primary components of the
project are the exhibition hall, located between Grids 1200 and 1520 (generally located between 38th and 39th
Streets), and the truck marshalling building, located between Grids 1520 and 1690 (generally located between
39th and 40th Streets).

Design is conceptual
– it needs to enlighten and enrich our experiences – and design is also technical, it needs to function efficiently
and economically. For the Javits Expansion, the Lendlease Turner party combines the market driven
requirements for truck marshalling and additional rentable space with the unique New York City location and
respect for the existing landmark architecture. The basic organizational diagram of the indicative design
successfully deals with the parameters of both site and program, locating the major pieces of function
appropriately to necessary adjacencies. While the layout of the major spaces remains principally intact within
the Lendlease Turner proposal, this is not without rigorous analysis.
Using the Alternate Technical Concepts (ATC) and the inquiry process available during the RFP period, the design
team took a detailed look at the 'bones' of the program and the functional organization of the parts in an effort
to seek out engineering efficiencies, verify operational fit, confirm appropriate material selections and identify
additional urban design opportunities. The design excellence embedded in our proposal is a result of respect for
the work that has come before this RFP, design and technical innovations, sensitivity to urban design and
landmark structures and collaboration with Lendlease Turner construction team for cost, value and schedule.

DESIGN EXCELLENCE

This Javits Expansion project utilizes many of the principles of convention center design in delivering design
excellence. Importantly, it also respects and upholds the cultural character established by the 1986 Pei Cobb
Freed design (I.M. Pei) with its expansive glass and rectilinear form.
The lobby and pre-function take full advantage of the incredible views that only New York City offers – the
skyline to the east and Hudson River to the west. The new atrium provides a clear and logical vertical circulation
node that is organized to provide wayfinding clarity and enhances the guest’s orientation to the rest of the Jacob
K. Javits Convention Center (Javits) and to the adjacent Manhattan neighborhoods.
The high-performance glass proposed for the pre-function, meeting and ballroom spaces optimizes its
transparency and provides access to natural daylight and the temperate climate of the City. The new meeting
rooms and ballroom locations capture the city skyline with a high-quality design that is expected to be matched
by audiovisual, digital signage and lighting displays.
Columns in the exhibit hall are placed on 90' centers to maximize clear spans and offer flexibility for the use of
the space. Similarly, the long-span design of the ballroom floor structure allows for a cost-efficient solution that
minimizes the structure located within the meeting rooms below.
The rooftop terrace, located at the same elevation as the meeting room floor, provides opportunity for guests to
move easily outdoors to events at the new rooftop pavilion or the adjacent landscaped area.
Back-of-house spaces functionally relate to the spaces they support and respect the detailed programmatic
analysis that is illustrated by the indicative drawings and described in the program requirements.