TKTS Booth and the Revitalization of Times Square

The New York Landmarks Conservancy, in partnership with the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York, cordially invite you to a special lecture.

TKTS Booth and the Revitalization of Times Square

with Nick Leahy, Perkins Eastman

Mr. Leahy of Perkins Eastman will discuss the iconic design that transformed Times Square from into the one of the most visited public gathering spaces on the globe. The overarching challenge was to remake a City’s icon and create the catalyst that would eventually lead to a major urban renewal project to transform of New York’s Times Square into a true town square—a place for people to gather.

This this illustrated talk will take you behind the scenes of the world’s largest publicly accessible all-structural glass building. Mr. Leahy will share the structural, physical, logistical, and technological challenges the international project team navigated to create one of the world’s most renowned urban spectacles—an important symbol not only for the City of New York, but also internationally.

This modern landmark has immeasurably raised the profile of the Theatre Development Fund (TDF), which operates the booth to provide a discount outlet for tickets (TKTS) to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Creating public space where there was none before, it also has recast our notions of what it can mean to interact with the built environment—ultimately elevating the expectations for architecture in the public realm.

In addition to his work on the TKTS Booth, Mr. Leahy’s other projects include; the Museum of Natural History Spitzer Hall of Human Origins and Butterfly Conservatory; The Tenement Museum, the Container Globe, a modern interpretation of the famous Globe Theater designed and constructed entirely from shipping containers; and numerous others.

Nick Leahy is Co-CEO and Executive Director at Perkins Eastman, his projects are distinguished by their critical balance of place, program, and craft. Key to his design methodology is to investigate each site’s relationship to its environment, history, and its intended use. His designs for civic buildings, performing arts centers, museums, and institutional facilities can be found across the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

$15 General Admission; $10 General Society Members, New York Landmarks Conservancy Members, and Senior Citizens; $5 Students.

Advance registration is required.

Seating is limited for in-person attendees.

Proof of vaccination and masks are required for anyone attending in person.

General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen
20 West 44th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)

REGESTER – In person here

REGISTER – Virtual here