Dear Elevecture Community,

 

We are grateful for the positive response we have received from our readers thus far. We would love to hear if you have questions about our material or Elevecture as a company. 

 

This week, we want to take you on a journey to LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Since we all have been staying at home and traveling less, you may not have seen all the new upgrades and designs that make up the new LGA. LGA transports more than 30 million travelers each year, and those who have been to the airport pre-2016 know how unsightly and difficult it was to navigate the space. In 2016, a private/ public partnership unveiled a plan to demolish the existing Central Terminal, and replace it with a new airport in the same footprint.  The project was officially labelled LaGuardia Central Terminal B Reconstruction. 

 

We give you a bit of history because this was the same time that the team at Elevecture took the reins of the company. Elevecture and LGA both were in a time of renewal. The architect of record at LGA was HOK, and Elevecture worked with James Christerson to ensure a new and innovative material. He was looking for a particular white, something durable and easy to maintain. Elevecture, with its lightweight, durable and optically-clear glass was the selected solution.

 

The hustle and bustle of airports makes Corning® Gorilla® Glass by Elevecture paneling ideal. High traffic and luggage transportation creates endless opportunities for scratching and breakage. In a time where frequent sanitizing is a necessity, our cleanable and smart surfaces allow for easy management and upkeep.

 

The elevators and escalators at LGA were awarded to KONE, whose mission is to improve the flow of urban life. KONE understands People Flow ® in and between buildings, making people’s journeys safe, convenient and reliable. 

 

KONE project manager Ryan Kaufman jumped right in to learn about Elevecture and why we were selected. 

“Using a relativity new product in such a marquee project was exciting, but we also needed to better understand the material and company that would be supplying this to us.” 

Immediately Elevecture invited the KONE team to the Elevecture/Corning Innovation Center to get an overview of the product and what it offered.

“Going to the Innovation Center and meeting the Elevecture team was the best thing we could have done,” said Kaufman. “Elevecture immediately educated KONE on the glass. The KONE team learned how Gorilla Glass® is made differently than typical soda lime glass, for example, Gorilla Glass® by Corning ® is made in the vertical to achieve a 2mm sheet of incredibly durable, scratch resistant piece of glass.  At the end of the presentation our team was challenged to try and break a piece of strengthened soda lime and a piece of Gorilla Glass®.  The soda lime glass broke easily, our team was unable to break the Gorilla Glass®.  The durability coupled with Elevecture’s ability to create a beautiful look quickly put any doubts out of our minds.  We walked out of the Innovation Center, better educated on why working with Elevecture was the right call.”

The job at LaGuardia was extremely labor intensive. There were several cab types and many panel sizes. At each revision, Elevecture went through the process of triple checking the work to ensure a smooth delivery and install.

Elevecture President Lianne Friedman and KONE PM Ryan Kaufman both agree the job at LaGuardia was a true collaboration between the two companies  Although COVID-19 has limited the number of visitors to LGA, they both went to the job site, masks and all, to visit the cabs and see that no matter what cleaning agents were used, the glass panels were still pristine.

With gratitude,
The Elevecture Team 
www.elevecture.com
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