Smith, Fause & McDonald, Inc.

Wintergarden, Courtyard and Plaza

World Financial Center

Battery Park City Commercial Center

New York, New York

6,000,000 square foot office complex adjacent to the site of the former World Trade Center, featuring 300,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of lobby and circulation and a 150,000 exterior plaza on the Hudson River. 

Scope of Services:  Design of Video Projection Systems, Media and Motion Picture Production Provisions, Performing Arts Grade Sound Systems, Production Lighting and Rigging Systems for the Public Plaza and the Wintergarden.

Sound systems are designed to meet the Public Plaza's program. They are high quality, self contained portable systems that are custom designed to fit in available elevators and access ways and accommodate indoor or plaza use.  Operation is essentially automatic and setup minimized to allow rapid program changes. The systems are also designed to easily link to the comprehensive permanent systems designed by SFMI for the Wintergarden. The Wintergarden is a huge public space covered by glass barrel-vault. It contains permanent 90' palm trees, and it is used to present every manner of performance, from romance era symphony to fashion show. The designed sound systems are highly flexible to accommodate the programs. SFMI designed an extremely high quality sound system without using acoustical treatments (to preserve architectural design) and without modifying the original architectural concept.

In the tragic aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, considerable damage was caused to the World Financial Center and the Wintergarden. From news photos, it appears that much of the steel framework of the Wintergarden remains intact, however, most of the glazing appears to have been damaged or destroyed. We extend our deepest sympathies to those lost, injured or displaced in this national tragedy.

Architect: Cesar Pelli & Associates - New Haven, Connecticut

Developer: Olympia & York Equity Corporation - New York, New York