Tishman Speyer to Reopen Historic Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center

"Top of the Rock" to open to the public November 1st, vistiors able to book tours online starting Se

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. October 14, 2008

NEW YORK, NY, August 2, 2005. Tishman Speyer, co-owners of Rockefeller Center, has announced that on November 1st, the renovated and much-anticipated Top of the RockTM observation deck will re-open to the public. The observation deck will include three renovated lower levels and three renovated upper levels housed in the 70-story architectural heart of Rockefeller Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The centerpiece of the projects lies with the reopening of the observatory some 850 feet (259.08 meters) above the sidewalk on the 67th -70th floors. The observation deck was first opened to the public in 1933. Now fully revitalized by Tishman Speyer, it will present an incomparable place from which to understand and celebrate New York City.

Top of the Rock will be open daily 8:30 AM to midnight. The sky shuttle will make a final run at 11pm each night. Introductory ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $9 for children six to 11 years old.

Those interested in visiting Top of the Rock can reserve their visits starting September 1st via the website www.topoftherocknyc.com or call 877-NYC-ROCK (877-692-7625) or 212-698-2000. In addition, there will be seven terminals on-site to help visitors purchase tickets easily.

The multi-level Top of the Rock will offer state-of-the-art features such as reserved-time tickets - minimizing long lines or large crowds - multi-media exhibits, a completely indoor viewing area, and brand-new transparent, safety glass panels that will allow completely unobstructed open-air views, encompassing some of the city's most prominent landmarks from the Chrysler Building to the Statue of Liberty to all of Central Park and the Hudson and East Rivers.

Tishman Speyer retained the architectural firm of Gabellini Associates LLP to achieve the design and rejuvenation of the observatory, ensuring that the historic integrity of the site remains. Entertainment group, Bob Weis Design Island Associates was enlisted to develop and create a unique and memorable entertainment experience through an immersive exhibition, interactive experiences and multi-media components.

Visitors to Top of the Rock will enter the complex through storefronts on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, adjacent to the famous marquee on the street level. The Concourse Level, located below the ground floor entrance, contains the ticketing area, offering unique reserved-time tickets developed specifically for Top of the Rock. The Observation Deck Ticketing System (ODT) was designed to be extremely flexible and simple to use. Visitors can purchase tickets online, allowing for the ability to reserve the date and time of the desired visit in advance, thereby reducing long lines and waiting time.

Ticket holders may ride or walk up through the atrium to the Mezzanine exhibition space, and, while waiting to board a sky shuttle elevator to the 67th floor, can enjoy a multimedia exhibition exploring the history of Rockefeller Center that features contemporary plasma screens alongside an original basswood model of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Visitors will then embark on sky shuttle elevators, imagined as time and light capsules. Thanks to a transparent glass ceiling, participants will observe their own rapid acceleration through the shaft towards open air and light.

Additionally, four video projectors use the glass ceiling as a projection surface to present rapid sequences of Rockefeller Center imagery from the 1930s through the present. Sapphire blue lights flash within the shaft as the shuttle passes key vertical thresholds, symbolizing the passing of another decade every four stories.

The elevators will bring visitors into the interior "Grand Viewing Room" located on the 67th floor. An additional viewing experience will be offered in the "Weather Room," a triple-height space overlooking the Plaza. These viewing rooms and adjoining terraces are also designed to function as a premier special event space.

Escalators will take visitors to the final two floors of the Top of the Rock. The "Grand Viewing Decks" on the 69th floor will offer full views of Manhattan to the east, west, north and south, with visibility approximately 80 miles on clear days.

The 70th floor, reachable by stairs or elevator, crowns the building, allowing visitors to experience a 360-degree panorama of New York City. Only 20 feet wide and nearly 200 feet long, the top level provides a vantage point unlike any other found in New York.

Situated in midtown Manhattan, Top of the Rock will provide visitors with an opportunity to appreciate the architecture of Rockefeller Center and its significance to the growth of New York City. Tishman Speyer is committed to the preservation and restoration of Rockefeller Center, which is the site of numerous public exhibits and events, including annual installations of public art, the New York International Orchid Show, the Christie's Collector's Car Show, and live broadcast of the U.S. Open tennis championships. Each day an estimated 250,000 people walk through the Rockefeller Plaza complex, which is home to the world's most famous Christmas Tree.