FLUSHING, NY — Amongst the many features of the newly opened Holiday Inn Financial District at 99 Washington St. in lower Manhattan are over 1,700 high-end thermally efficient windows and louver units supplied by Crystal Window & Door Systems. The 492-room hotel, located just three blocks from the 9/11 Memorial site, is 50-stories tall and very slender, with a metal panel and glass window façade. It is the tallest in the Holiday Inn chain world-wide portfolio of hotel properties.
In total, Crystal supplied 1,768 of the hotel's fenestration products, to fill 678 building openings. The project utilized Crystal's top-of-the-line Evolution Series 8800 casement and Evolution Series 8810 aluminum fixed picture windows. Both of the Evolution Series windows feature 2-⅝" frame depths with heavy-duty 0.093" wall thickness frame, sill and sash extrusions. For greater thermal insulation, the windows use state-of-the-art fiberglass reinforced structural polyamide thermal break systems and 1-¼" overall thickness insulated glass units (IGUs). The large IGUs also provide enhanced sound reduction, a particularly important benefit for this urban property.
The Crystal Evolution Series 8800 in-swing casement is AAMA rated at an outstanding AW-PG100-C. Further highlights of the Crystal Evolution Series windows are the European-styled frame and sash design, zero-sightline sashes, and on the casement model, concealed 4-bar hinges, triple gasket seals and multiple locking points.
In addition to windows, the project called for the use of several hundred louver units manufactured by the Reliable Corporation of Geneva, AL, and supplied through Crystal. The louvers provide ventilation for the individual guest room heating/air conditioning (PTAC) units installed below the windows.
The majority of the products furnished for the project are combined in a triple arrangement that showcases the mulling capabilities of Crystal's windows. With these combination units, the Evolution Series 8800 casement and the Series 8810 picture windows are arranged horizontally side-by-side within a continuous master frame using a special vertical T-mullion. Then using a horizontal mullion, the 2-window combination is stacked atop the PTAC louver unit in the wall opening.
Options ordered for the Holiday Inn Financial District windows deliver enhanced efficiency, comfort, safety, aesthetics and installation. All the Crystal windows were specified with PPG's Solarban 60 glass for greater thermal performance and a special dual-seal for the IGUs to assure long-term uncompromised insulating glass unit performance. Exterior noise was further attenuated through the use of unequal thickness lites in the two pane IGUs. An optional silver nickel finish handle provides a stylish but very functional flair to the Crystal casements. The casement windows also allow fresh air ventilation, but utilize a window operation device limiting the opening to a safe 4" maximum.
Crystal supplied accessories such as mullions, receptor and subsill combinations, and a special 3-¼" aluminum sill cover to expedite installation. All the windows and louvers were finished in Crystal's durable AAMA 2604 powder coat Red color paint.
Responsible for the primary architectural design of the hotel was Gene Kaufman Architect, P.C., while Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman & Associates provided façade design consultation. Gon Way Construction of Flushing, NY was the window fenestration installer. Cava Construction was the project's general contractor and the McSam Hotel Group was the developer.
