Home Box Office (HBO)

Roof Replacement and Facade Investigation

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Home Box Office (HBO) headquarters at 1100 Avenue of the Americas is a fifteen-story rectangular building with an aluminum and glass curtain wall system. The original building was completed in 1906, and then subsequently renovated in 1932, with the addition of eight floors, and again in 1978, when the building enclosure was re-clad with a green glass curtain wall. Persistent water infiltration problems at the five roof areas led HBO to undertake an in-depth condition assessment, for which they retained Hoffmann Architects + Engineers.

The roof system, which dated from 1984, had reached the end of its useful lifespan. Our architects and engineers found blistering, alligatoring, cracking, open joints, ponding water, and vegetative growth, all of which were signs of age- and weather-related deterioration. Hoffmann recommended a phased roof replacement project, for which we provided design, contract documents, bidding assistance, and construction administration services.

HBO also retained Hoffmann Architects + Engineers to conduct the facade safety investigation required under New York City Local Law 11 of 1998 (Facade Inspection Safety Program). Following a review of previous reports, maintenance records, and other available documentation, Hoffmann conducted a visual examination of exterior walls and appurtenances. In a report filed with the Department of Buildings, we recorded maintenance conditions and evaluated water-tightness at the glass curtain wall facade systems.