One of the ultimate musical destinations and an internationally known institution, Carnegie Hall has undergone some recent renovations which include a complete re-painting in 2005 and more recently in 2007, complete carpet replacement, seating refurbishing and bathroom renovations.
While we've worked continually with Carnegie Hall over the past 15 years on various projects including office spaces, various performance and banquette spaces, last summer, we re-carpeted the entire Stern Auditorium and adjacent Banquette spaces as a whole.
In previous years a total re-carpeting was a challenge, so we concentrated on targeted areas to avoid impacting events as the performance season got underway. However, it had become clear that this massive project could no longer be put on hold.
Under the guidance of Mike Contursi (Gem Construction) and working closely with the Carnegie team of Richard Malenka, Tony Regno and Tamika Reid we were able to complete this project in just eight weeks.
With a concerted effort starting in autumn 2006, all approvals were completed and preliminary items resolved allowing all materials to be ordered with time for them to be delivered on-site when required. With all material-production and ship dates confirmed we were able to confidently start the demolition and prep work during the second week in July.
The next several weeks saw the replacement of all flooring in the Stern Auditorium and Banquette spaces with the exception of the stage. There was no time to spare and everything and everyone had to perform like clockwork. Fortunately with all of the advance planning and excellent project management from Mike and the Carnegie team we were able to complete the project within the allocated time.
While the Stern Auditorium consists entirely of wool carpeting, the Banquette spaces having a different design theme, aesthetic and performance requirements, used nylon based carpet. We were conscious of this and therefore certified carbon energy credits were purchased and retired in renewable and sustainable sources like wind energy for instance to offset the GHG used throughout the lifecycle of the carpet including the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, installation, use, maintenance and end-of-life.
We were very conscious of the historic value of the venue and worked closely with the team to maintain the integrity of the original design and aesthetic while also meeting today's safety standards.
Remember the old joke: A tourist asking for directions says, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Someone answers: "Practice Practice Practice." In our case it was years of experience and months of hard work!
So the next time you take in a concert, look down at the floor before you look up at the stage. You'll see us in the spotlight!
