KCI provided construction engineering services to support the renovation and vertical expansion of the Tiffany & Co. Flagship Store, a historic 1940 Art Moderne building located in midtown Manhattan.
The project involved replacing an existing office extension with a new three-story, glass-walled addition featuring double-height, column-free spaces, requiring innovative solutions to execute construction within a dense urban environment. To address significant space constraints and strict city regulations, KCI developed an unconventional crane engineering approach to support construction of the upper floors. The team engineered a complex lift in which a 500-ton crane hoisted a fully assembled 130-ton crane seven stories above Fifth Avenue and placed it on the building’s roof. KCI provided crane plans, rigging design, permitting, and structural analysis, including rooftop dunnage systems and reinforcement of existing columns to safely support imposed loads.
Extensive preconstruction coordination with the contractor ensured crane geometry, capacity, and building loading were validated early, allowing the project to proceed efficiently. The rooftop crane installation enabled continuous construction operations during seasonal street restrictions, avoiding delays and reducing overall project costs. KCI also supported permanent steel connection design as part of the broader renovation effort.
The completed work enabled construction of the new upper-level addition, advancing the multi-year transformation of the flagship store. The renovation expands usable space and introduces modern program areas while preserving the building’s historic presence along Fifth Avenue.
