Skylift at Top of the Rock, a new attraction atop 30 Rock, elevates visitors nearly 900 feet in the air above street level for a spectacular, entirely unobstructed, 360-degree view of New York City. The design team for the Skylift included owner Tishman Speyer Properties, architect Richard J. DeMarco, AIA, principal of MADGI, and experiential designer THG Creative.

Situated at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck on the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, visitors step onto Skylift’s open-air, revolving platform and ascend an additional three stories above the topmost floor of 30 Rock. Once elevated, the platform turns for a 360-degree experience and a panoramic photo moment, creating a thrilling sensation of floating among skyscrapers.

Designed to parallel and celebrate Rockefeller Center’s classic art deco architecture, Skylift’s circular, open-air, steel platform with glass insert panels and marble-like tiers echo the iconic design motifs found throughout the Center. Skylift features 96 LED pixel flutes, which cast a dramatic light show seen across the city skyline and can be customized to commemorate notable dates and holidays.

Skylift is the last element of the full modernization of Top of the Rock, which also recently brought The Beam, an interactive attraction and photo experience on the 69th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza that recreates the famous 1932 photograph “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper.” In summer 2024,  the Welcome Gallery also opened to the public, featuring an immersive theater show that introduces the history of Rockefeller Center. Architect Richard J. DeMarco, AIA, principal of MADGI, and experiential designer THG Creative also designed the Beam and the Welcome Gallery.

“Rockefeller Center is full of amazing experiences, but none quite as breathtaking as Skylift,” said EB Kelly, Senior Managing Director at Tishman Speyer and Head of Rockefeller Center. “The thrilling experience of revolving 900 feet above ground for 360-degree views, eye to eye with skyscrapers in the beating heart of New York City, is one no visitor will forget. Skylift is the crown jewel of our revitalization of Rockefeller Center, which has brought a new vibrancy and energy to every corner of campus.”

“Raising 30 feet above 30 Rock’s 70th floor deck, the Skylift is a concept without precedent as an experience atop a skyscraper, especially a historic landmark. As the architect for this project, we worked closely with Tishman Speyer and THG Creative to create an unforgettable experience for both visitors and New Yorkers alike, allowing them to enjoy breathtaking, never before seen, unobstructed 360-degree views of New York City,” shared MADGI Principal Richard J. DeMarco, AIA. “Four-tiered and 12 feet in diameter, the Skylift’s wedding cake-like base telescopes up, with each tier featuring a striking LED light show,” he added.

“Rockefeller Center is a beacon for culture in New York and for the entire world, and we were honored to work so closely with Tishman Speyer on this reimagining of the entire Top of the Rock guest experience,” said Phil Hettema, Founder and CEO of THG Creative. “Skylift is not only the cherry on top of NYC’s most coveted observation deck, but will also add a new dazzling attraction to the city’s iconic skyline that will capture the attention of both locals and visitors for years to come.”

The opening of Skylift also marks the completion of Rockefeller Center’s multi-year, campus-wide revitalization. This transformation includes new fine dining via the acclaimed restaurants Jupiter, Le Rock and NARO, a new generation of sought-after shopping destinations including N. Peal, Todd Snyder, Rough Trade and McNally Jackson; and continued dedication to the public art program with contemporary and international works from artists like Basil Kincaid, Melissa Joseph, and Dominique Fung. This reimagination is driven by the vision of Rockefeller Center’s founder: a “city within a city.”

The Skylift is a circular, open-air platform that elevates visitors 30 feet above the 70th floor roof deck to dazzle with unobstructed 360-degree cityscape views.

One floor below Skylift, guests enjoy another new rooftop experience, The Beam, which recreates the iconic 1932 “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photo depicting 11 ironworkers perched on a steel beam while 30 Rockefeller Plaza was under construction. Today, visitors are strapped into their seats on a recreated beam located on the 69th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza and lifted 12 feet above the observation deck platform. The Beam then rotates 180-degrees providing spectacular views of the Big Apple, including Central Park, the Hudson River and the skyscrapers of Midtown and upper Manhattan.

According to MADGI’s Project Manager Richard Moon, AIA, “When visitors – up to 15,000 guests per day – enter Top of the Rock on the ground floor (or concourse level), they find multiple kiosks where they can purchase tickets to the experiences. From there, guests proceed to the atrium area (or mezzanine level) either via an architectural spiral stair or an elevator. When they arrive at the mezzanine level, they go through security and then proceed to the Welcome Gallery and the multi-sensory theater presentation titled “Spark of Imagination, The Story of Rockefeller Center”, before moving on to the actual observatory experiences on the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors, including the Skylift and the Beam.”

At the center of the Welcome Gallery, guests find a dynamic six-minute projection-mapped show on a highly detailed 10-foot-tall model of Rockefeller Center, captivating viewers with stories of its construction, art, seasons, commerce, and glamor. From there, visitors are invited to the multimedia theater to explore Rockefeller Center via a 5-minute pulsed media show that runs through the history of the iconic NYC landmark from its conception to modern day. Using archival footage, animation, and projections, the show culminates in a surprise and delight moment tied to the iconic Christmas Tree lighting complete with a magical snow effect.

Images Courtesy of: Diane Bondareff

The project team also transformed the elevator experience to seamlessly transition the guest journey from mezzanine level up to the 67th floor. Guests ascend and descend 30 Rockefeller Plaza while being immersed in two dazzling 46-second shows that bring to life the building’s most iconic art and tenants.

In addition to Tishman Speyer, Richard J. DeMarco/MADGI and THG Creative, the project team for the Skylift and the Beam included Gilbane (Construction Management); AMA Group (MEP Engineers); Gilsanz Murray Steficek/GMS (Structural Engineers); Cimolai (the Beam fabrication); elevator consultant Edgett Williams Consulting Group (EWCG); Coyle Contracting (gift shop and VIP lounge); Schindler (Elevator); National Cab (Elevator Cab interiors); TAIT (Skylift engineering, fabrication and install); Electrosonic (AVC Integration); Adirondack (Scenic Fabricator); Eos Lightmedia (Lighting Integration); Visual Terrain (Lighting Designer–Mezzanine & Elevators); David Finn Design (Lighting Designer–Skylift); Supply & Demand (Media Designer); Yessian (Music & Sound Design); Cadmium Scenique (Model Maker/Show Set); Hunt Design (Signage Design); 5TEN (LED Consultant); Cimolai (The Beam fabricator and install); TechMD (AVC Design); The Fury Studio (Media/Projection Support); TWT (Ride/Attraction Consultant); 11:11 (Creative–Models/Mock-ups); and The Andrus Group (Project Management Support).

MADGI

Based in New York City, MADGI is a prominent architecture, interior design and planning firm predominantly serving commercial, institutional, retail, multi-family, senior housing, and hospitality markets. MADGI and its affiliates employ 30 architects, interior designers, LEED professionals, project managers, and support staff. Building Design & Construction magazine ranks the firm as the 133rd largest designer in the United States. Engineering News-Record lists the studio as the 79th largest design firm in the New York/New Jersey region.

In addition to the Skylift and the Beam, MADGI and MDA recently served as the architect for two other prominent tourist attractions in Manhattan: One World Observatory, the 90,000-sq.-ft. observation deck and retail space atop the new World Trade Center, and the renovated landmark Rainbow Room on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

MADGI’s recent corporate interior work includes the 150,000-sq.-ft. East Hanover, N.J., U.S. headquarters and laboratories and the 75,000-sq.-ft. Manhattan offices and testing labs of Givaudan Fragrance. The studio has designed approximately 10 million square feet of office and common use space for both tenants and leading commercial landlords in New York City, including Colliers International, Capital Properties, The Durst Organization, John Hancock, and Barings.

The firm’s architectural, executive design, and design collaborations portfolio also includes the 230-room citizenM New York hotel in Times Square; the 183,000-sq.-ft., 17-story 20 East End Avenue luxury condominium; The Dillon Townhouses and Condominiums, a 205,000-sq.-ft residential complex at 425 West 53rd Street that received an AIA New York State Award of Merit; the 11-story 560 West 24th Street luxury condominium; the 82,000-sq.-ft. Soori Highline luxury condominium on West 29th Street; and the market repositioning of the 100,000-sq.-ft. 160 Fifth Avenue office tower in Manhattan as well as the $330 million redevelopment of The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights luxury senior living community in Brooklyn, NY and the 10-story, 85-apartment Silver Star residential/retail mixed-use building in Long Island City, NY.

Additional information: www.montroydemarco.com and www.madgi.com

About THG Creative

THG Creative has worked closely with high-profile clients including Universal Creative, Walt Disney Imagineering, DreamWorks, Sony, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Los Angeles Dodgers, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Cedar Fair, McKinsey & Company, and Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, among others. Based in Pasadena, California, THG continues to build upon decades of designing one-of-a-kind experiences, transforming ideas into reality in partnerships with clients spanning myriad industries including theme parks, destination attractions, rides, resorts, museums, casinos, sporting events, and brand experiences. More information on THG can be found at THGcreative.com.

Feature Image Courtesy of: Diane Bondareff