Few projects carry the global visibility of New Year’s Eve in Times Square. For the 2025 celebration, our teams provided engineering services for both the debut of Jamestown’s Constellation Ball, dropped from the top of One Times Square, and the renovation of the historic building itself.
Entertainment Engineering: The Constellation Ball
Our Entertainment Engineers were part of the project team providing engineering support for Jamestown’s Constellation Ball. The ball measures 12.5 feet in diameter and weighs just over 12,000 pounds, with approximately 12,300 pounds of metal forming its core structure. It features 5,280 circular Waterford crystals in three sizes, 1.5-inch, 3-inch, and 4-inch, paired with integrated LED light pucks that bring the ball to life during the countdown.
Construction Engineering: Transforming One Times Square
We provided construction engineering services for the renovation of One Times Square. The project involved extensive demolition, structural modifications, and rooftop expansion to support a new public observation deck and future tenant spaces opening in 2026.
Our scope included demolition engineering, building stability analysis, construction sequencing, and the design of temporary support systems within a century-old structure containing multiple generations of framing systems. We prepared DOB-compliant demolition documentation and engineered shoring and bracing to maintain structural integrity throughout phased construction.
We also led crane and heavy lift engineering under extreme site constraints, including the design of a cantilevered tower crane support system that avoided loading sensitive MTA infrastructure below the site. Additional services included structural steel connection engineering and Tekla modeling to support constructability and efficient erection sequencing.
A Project That Blends Visibility and Precision
From engineering one of the world’s most recognizable entertainment structures to supporting the transformation of its host building, this project highlights the technical depth required to deliver work at the highest level of visibility. The New Year’s Eve Ball Drop may last seconds, but the engineering behind it takes years of planning, analysis, and execution.