Perelman Performing Arts Center Named 2024 Structure of the Year by NCSEA

Magnusson Klemencic Associates wins 2024's top honor for PAC NYC

Nov. 18, 2024

The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024 Structure of the Year award, presented to Magnusson Klemencic Associates for the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City. Selected from a competitive field of eight Outstanding Structure Finalists, this project exemplifies the technical skill and creative design that defines excellence in structural engineering.

The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) enhances the World Trade Center site with its unique cultural presence. By day, its marble-and-glass façade is understated, but by night, it reveals its versatility. The PAC NYC three main theaters and two adjoining “scene docks” transform into 11 different theater volumes and 60-plus seating configurations, thanks to four retractable, acoustically isolated, gigantic “guillotine” walls. 

PAC NYC, winner of the 2024 NCSEA Structure of the Year award. This marvel by Magnusson Klemencic Associates is notable for its stunning, adaptive theater spaces. Photo by Iwan Baan.

The Structure of the Year award is the highlight of NCSEA’s Structural Engineering Excellence (SEE) Awards, which annually recognize the most innovative projects in the field. The award was presented at the SEE Awards Celebration, sponsored by Atlas Tube, during the 2024 NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit. 

The 2024 SEE Awards Outstanding Structures are:

  • New Buildings Under $30 Million: Fraser Mills Presentation Centre, Structure Craft

  • New Buildings $30 Million to $80 Million: BCIT Tall Timber Student Housing, Fast + Epp

  • New Buildings $80 Million to $200 Million: FORTH Hotel, Uzun+Case, LLC

  • New Buildings Over $200 Million: Perelman Performing Arts Center, Magnusson Klemencic Associates

  • New Bridge and Transportation Structures: Williams Crossing Pedestrian Bridge, schlaich bergermann partner

  • Forensic/Renovation/Retrofit/Rehabilitation Structures up to $20 Million: UC San Francisco Mount Zion Faculty Housing, Tipping

  • Forensic/Renovation/Retrofit/Rehabilitation Structures Over $20 Million: The Baird Center Expansion, GRAEF

  • Other Structures: Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail, Buro Happold | Meyer Borgman Johnson

“On behalf of NCSEA, I want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Magnusson Klemencic Associates for engineering the 2024 Structure of the Year,” said Al Spada, NCSEA Executive Director. “This project, along with all of our finalists, showcases the extraordinary ingenuity that structural engineers bring to the built environment. Each of these outstanding projects demonstrates the power of structural engineering to enhance our communities, and we are proud to celebrate their achievements.”

SEE Awards are a celebration of structural engineers’ contributions to resilient, safe, and innovative infrastructure. For more information about the SEE Awards and details about each submission, click here.

NCSEA, in partnership with its member organizations, supports practicing structural engineers to be highly qualified professionals and successful leaders. NCSEA is dedicated to advancing the structural engineering profession through education, advocacy, career development, and community.