The Art of Building series showcases the techniques, solutions, and innovations that contribute to Shawmut’s better building experience across the most complex projects.

Working in a landmarked building on New York City’s Fifth Avenue, the Shawmut team is underway on a multi-phased, 53,000-square-foot project for Paramount Group that includes structural demolition and building repositioning to allow a luxury jeweler to expand across five floors. The team is connecting neighboring buildings, working on the cellar through fifth floors inside and underneath a 50-story, 605-foot tall skyscraper.

To combine the two buildings, the 1,500-square-foot floor plates needed to be demolished and aligned across the second, third, and fourth floors. Since the diaphragms would be lost when the slabs were removed, the team designed a specific sequence around the removal of the slabs. Working from the top down, the team first put in the steel, then demolished the slabs, putting the new diaphragm in before removing the old one. The team incorporated temporary bracing into the new slabs, and the combination of both temporary and permanent steel allowed for an expedited schedule—highlighting the team’s specialty working on the toughest repositioning of urban buildings.

The remaining phases of the project include column relocations, new elevators, floating glass catwalks, limestone finishes, and Lalique windows within the landmarked façade. Stay tuned for more on this project in The Art of Building series.