One of the world’s most recognizable addresses is about to get a new look after New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) granted full approval to a plan that would transform the iconic 30 Rockefeller Plaza into Midtown’s latest tourist destination. 

The first of the new Top of the Rock attractions proposed by the building’s operator Tishman Speyer is the experiential 69th-floor “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” ride that allows visitors to experience 'a day on the job' of a typical period construction crew based on the iconic 1932 photograph by Charles C. Ebbets.

The next floor will feature the “Skylift” observation deck with panoramic views of the city punctuated by a glowing kinetic globe that’s programmed to change colors with the arrival of each new visitor.

Additionally, the ground floor and mezzanine level will be transformed to allow for improved visitor circulation through the ticketing areas, which have been relocated to an existing storefront on the plaza.

The original plan was revised a total of three times since first being made public back in September. Gone is the proposed larger platform structure whose size and visibility drew the critical ire of LPC commissioners in favor of the more discreet vertical lift, which is hard to spot when not actively in use. 

“I think what is being composed here now is exciting,” Commissioner Frederick Bland said at this week’s hearing. “It’s there when it’s there, and it’s not there when it’s not there, which introduces a level of kinetic quality to architecture which I’ve always been interested in.”

The changes are part of Tishman Speyer’s larger redevelopment of the property, which includes a new rooftop park for Radio City Music Hall. A timeline for the rooftop amenities was unavailable at press time. Archinect will share more project updates as soon as they are made available.