GMS excels at designing structures to support and house unique shopping environments. From new, ground-up construction to renovation; from white-boxing to full-scale fit-out, we work with a vast array of materials – including architectural concrete, exposed steel, heavy timber, structural glass, plastics and polymers – in order to solve complex interior design challenges. GMS engineers highly customized geometries and architectural amenities, including unique storefront systems, canopies and stairs. Our national and international clients return to GMS for our diverse services, technical expertise, and responsiveness to their individual needs.

1. RETAIL PROJECTS
by Gilsanz Murray Steficek
info@gmsllp.com
212-254-0030

2. Samsung (837 Washington Street)
New York, New York
The core and shell at 837
Washington Street preserved the
original two-story façade and
added a new steel exoskeleton
with sloping columns and twisting
floor plates. This $96 million,
55,000 sf structure was awarded
LEED-CS (Core & Shell) v2009 Silver
Certification. Samsung leased the
entire building and has dedicated
28,000 square feet to destination
retail space at the cellar, ground
and second floor levels, 7,000
square feet to outdoor space and
27,000 square feet to office space
on the third through sixth floors.
The retail space features a theater
space, a broadcast booth and
production facilities to promote
the creation of content for
Samsung online services.
Architect: Morris Adjmi Architects
Fit-out Design: Wonderwall
Tenant Exec. Architect: Gensler

3. Longchamp – La Maison Unique
Stair Vibration Study
128-132 Spring Street
New York, NY
A vibration study for a 55-ton steel
stair for Longchamp’s new flagship
store in SoHo. This stair
synchronizes architecture and
structure to form an elegant, fluid
path up to the second floor. The
engineering analysis maintained
the architectural forms with the
lightest, leanest profile possible.
Unhampered by distractions due
to vibrations, visitors to the store
are free to enjoy the marvelous
topography of the stair structure
as well as the retail offerings.
Architect: Atmosphere Design Grp
Designer: Heatherwick Studio

4. Mercedes-Benz Manhattan
Showroom
New York, NY
This mixed-use development
includes 60,000 square feet of
showroom space at the ground
and mezzanine levels fronting 11th
Avenue for the full block between
53rd and 54th Streets, as well as
over 250,000 square feet in three
below grade cellar levels for
servicing cars. GMS serves as
owner’s structural representative
to review the base building
construction, as well as the
structural engineer for the fit-out
of the showroom and automotive
service levels.
Owner: Mercedes Benz USA
Architect: Spector Group

5. 401 West 14th Street
New York, NY
GMS served as the structural
engineers, façade consultants and
special inspectors to convert a
former supermarket in New York
City’s meatpacking district into
boutique office and retail space.
The elevator/stair core was
relocated to maximize the
occupiable floor area and a 5,200
sf penthouse was added behind
the existing rooftop billboard,
which remained in place during
construction. The building has
new windows, a new storefront
system and a new steel framed
glass canopy. A large portion of
the building was modified for a
high-end retail tenant. This work
included the creation of a three-
story atrium by removing an
existing column, reinforcing the
spandrel framing and supporting a
new glass spiral stair.
Architect (Building): Cook + Fox
Retail: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

6. Topshop / Topman
New York, NY
GMS served as the structural
engineer to renovate Topshop /
Topman’s first New York store on
Broadway in Manhattan’s Soho
district. The store occupies 6
floors covering 50,000 square feet,
including new mezzanines,
escalator and stairs.
Architect: INARCH

7. Uniqlo – Fifth Avenue Flagship
New York, NY
GMS served as the structural
engineer and consulted on the
curtainwall and interior glass
design for Uniqlo USA’s global
flagship store on Fifth Avenue and
53rd Street in Manhattan. The
store occupies 3 floors covering
89,000 square feet.
The design featured extensive
reinforcing of the building lateral
system in order to create an eight
bay atrium opening on two floors,
leading shoppers to the third floor
retail area. GMS also designed the
support for the new elevators,
escalators, specially detailed stairs
with back-lit risers and some
unique design features for this
store including the platforms for
rotating mannequins.
Architect: Gensler

8. Times Square Retail
New York, NY
Having served as structural
engineer and curtain wall
consultant for the previous retail
tenant a decade earlier, GMS
provided structural services for the
landlord to convert the space back
to “white box” condition and
improve the space by extending
the basement and demising the
area into smaller stores.
We then served the “sister”
tenants for a new 51,000 sf
flagship and a new 52,000 sf
flagship within the block long
building. The fast-track schedule
and complicated coordination
issues require the extensive
participation of GMS in all aspects
of the design and construction.
Architects:
Gertler & Wente Architects,
Chipman Design Architecture

9. The Cubes
1095 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY
GMS created a new 85 foot tall 3-
story annex and renovated and
enlarged the existing plaza. GMS
also relocated the existing MTA
entry to the east and enclosed it
within the 1095 tower. The annex
and plaza reconstruction were
completed in 2013 and the MTA
relocation and the lobby
renovation within 1095 were
completed in 2016. The main entry
was relocated to the plaza side of
the tower, resulting in a double-
height lobby and improved retail
spaces.
Architect: MdeAS

10. Suitsupply
Various Locations
GMS has provided structural
design and special inspection
services for Suitsupply at its
numerous retail locations across
the country since 2016. Work
included redevelopment of
existing properties for the store's
new interior fitout as well as new
storefront design. GMS helped
Suitsupply open stores in
California, New York, Texas,
Virginia and Massachusetts.
Architect: Atmosphere Design
Group

11. 529 Broadway – Nike Soho
New York, NY
Within the existing walls of a
former two story structure, Nike’s
new five story 55,000 square foot
retail experience, with accessory
office space and a terrace, rises to
six stories. The total framed area
of the development is
approximately 61,400 square feet.
The complex terracotta rain
screen, transforms from what
looks like masonry with punched
windows on Spring Street, to a
modern glass curtainwall as it
wraps the corner at Broadway. The
exposed steel moment frame
structure is fully integrated into
the interior design. GMS provided
structural engineering, interaction
with the MTA, special inspection
and construction monitoring
services. The store opened in
November 2016.
Core & Shell Architect: BKSK
Tenant Architect: TPG Architecture

12. Porcelanosa
202 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Porcelanosa’s new US Flagship
required the full gut renovation of
the existing six-story building
located at 202 Fifth Avenue. The
structural renovation removed the
center row of columns for the full
height of the building, reinforced
the exterior walls and reframed
seven new floors to span clear
across the building. The 18,000
square foot structure has been
transformed into a trade/retail
showroom with accessory office
spaces.
GMS provided structural
engineering, façade and
waterproofing consulting, special
inspection and construction
monitoring services.
Architect: Foster + Partners

13. Barneys New York
101 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY
This gut renovation of four floors
in this 1920’s era structure
included removing existing
columns, new exterior canopy,
new rooftop equipment, load
testing and evaluation of existing
floors to increase the live load
capacity, design of 3-story helical
stair (with major fabrication
performed in China) and new
elevators.
Architects:
Stephen Harris Architects,
Lalire March Architects

14. House of Bumble
New York, NY
The House of Bumble was
reconstructed and renovated in
1995, after fire destroyed the
building. The reconstruction was
used to unify the separate floors
and spaces into one cohesive unit.
Structural engineering services
were provided for the stairs,
mezzanine, and art wall. The
House of Bumble won the
Wallpaper Magazine Design Award
for Best Salon in 2004.
Architect: Anderson Architects

15. H&M - 589 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has
opened its biggest store to date, in
Manhattan’s 589 Fifth Avenue at
East 48th Street, an existing 1950s
vintage office building that was re-
clad with an aluminum and glass
curtain wall around 1990. GMS
served as structural engineer for
the 57,000 sf retail store. The
renovation included new
storefront, new escalators,
extending elevators and review of
office floors to convert to retail
use.
Architect: TEK Architects PC

16. Holly Hunt Showroom & Gallery
150 East 58th Street
New York, NY
Renovation of gallery and
showroom.
Architect: Beyer Blinder Belle

17. Issey Miyake Headquarters
119 Hudson Street
New York, NY
Renovation of a 1880s fruit store
and warehouse into 15,000 square
feet of retail store, showroom and
offices. The renovation included
installation of glass floor panels
and sliding glass wall panels, a new
stair and elevator.
Architect: G Tects, Frank Gehry

18. Louis Vuitton
Americana Manhasset
Manhasset, NY
GMS provided structural
engineering services for the
renovation of a 7718 sf. retail
space and worked with the
fabricator to provide engineering
calculations for the new glass
storefront and display windows.
Architect: Atmosphere Design
Group

19. Mercedes-Benz
37-14 36th Street
Long Island City, NY
GMS is providing structural
engineering services for the core
and shell of a new building of
approximately 162,000 sf with 10
stories, plus a full cellar. The
building will include a new car
showroom with service / repair
area and parking garage above.
The upper levels and the roof will
be designed for residential
occupancy. The project is adjacent
to the subway lines running along
Northern Boulevard, so approval
of the MTA will be required to
obtain construction permits.
Architect: Montroy Andersen
DeMarco

20. Volkswagen Audi Manhattan
Showroom
New York, NY
This dual-brand automotive
dealership facility at 798 11th
Avenue, consists of a renovation of
a six-story 260,000 sf concrete
building consisting of two
structures built side by side. The
project consists of Core & Shell
and exterior façade work,
including new staircases, new
elevators, new mezzanine at 2nd
floor area to be removed, new
cooling tower, and reconfiguration
of existing car ramps.
Architect: Spector Group

21. Tom Ford
672 Madison Avenue, New York
GMS provided structural
engineering services for the
renovation of the lower floors of
the former Helmsley Carlton
House for the New York City
flagship of Tom Ford. The new
store includes a new architectural
stair up to the second floor. GMS
designed the curved feature stair
supported only at the base and
second floor, the stair opening,
reinforced the retail floors for an
increased deflection requirement
and provided structural demolition
drawings and structural special
inspection services. We also
designed the new two story height
space at the entry which required
partial demolition of the existing
2nd floor slab as well as reinforcing
for the corner column that became
un-braced by the removal of the
slab.
Architect: Atmosphere Design
Group

22. GMS is a multi-disciplinary, structural
engineering and building envelope consulting
firm headquartered in New York City, with
offices in Los Angeles, California and
Bloomfield, New Jersey. We take great pride
in our expertise in structural design, façade
consulting, special inspections, construction
administration, forensic analysis, component
and systems engineering and engineering for
construction logistics. Since our inception in
1991, GMS has won over 250 project awards
and has had the privilege of working with
many talented architects, including nine
Pritzker Prize winners.
Above all else, GMS strives to provide
outstanding service and technical
excellence. We listen to our Clients,
collaborate with designers and confer with
builders to ensure successful projects.
We listen, we investigate and we solve; we
approach Client expectations with open
minds and explore creative options to find
the right solutions for every project,
regardless of size, complexity and material.
Our staff collaborates with teams across the
country, across disciplines and across our
offices. Expertise is shared throughout the
firm, via discussions and augmented by our
network intranet. We share our knowledge
through case study presentations in-house,
writing for national publications, contributing
to local, state and national codes, and
speaking at conferences across the country.
We believe the best solutions are created by
teams – let us know how we can help you.