Thinc Design and Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) have announced the completion of the reimagined Empire State Building Observatory, marking the culmination of the final phase of a four-year $165 million-dollar transformation of the iconic tower. Acting as Experience Designer on the project, Thinc Design led and collaborated with a cross-disciplinary team of individuals specializing architecture, travel, technology, and entertainment to curate, design, and realize the comprehensive rework.

The 80th-floor, which is now the first viewing level of the observatory provides a wide range of interactive exhibits along with panoramic views of the New York City skyline, dynamic "smart" lighting that modifies its levels based on exterior lighting conditions, virtual reality binoculars that introduce users to augmented views of New York landmarks, and much more. 

"The Empire State Building brings people together from all around the world. We’ve had the extraordinary opportunity to create an unexpected journey through the building’s past and present, through its place at the center of New York City, and through its meaning in the popular imagination," said Tom Hennes, founding principal of Thinc Design.