Skylift at Top of The Rock Opens At 30 Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan

Last week, Rockefeller Center celebrated the opening of Skylift at Top of The Rock, a new open-air attraction at 30 Rockefeller Center in Midtown, Manhattan. Designed in collaboration between architect Richard J. DeMarco, AIA, principal of MADGI, and experiential designer THG Creative, the experience hoists visitors to nearly 900 feet above street level on a revolving platform, providing unobstructed 360-degree views of New York City. 30 Rockefeller Center is bound by Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Plaza, and West 49th and West 50th Streets.

Skylift at Top of The Rock is situated on the western end of the 70th floor and is comprised of a telescoping steel-framed structure enclosed in a translucent white envelope. The streamlined design and marble-like tiers were designed to complement Rockefeller Center’s Art Deco architecture.  Skylift slowly lifts 30 feet upward from the observatory deck, then rotates counterclockwise for several minutes before gradually descending.  At night, the structure’s 96 LED pixel flutes illuminate in a colorful light show, which can also be customized to commemorate notable dates and holidays.

In the center of the platform is a post embedded with speakers playing music, and multiple wide-angle cameras to capture photographs of visitors during the ride. Visitors are given cards with QR codes to retrieve their images upon leaving the gift shop at the bottom of 30 Rockefeller Center.  Each fluted tier progressively extends from the floor and is protected with an ornamental grille.  The attraction is visible from street level, as seen in the below image at full extension.

“Rockefeller Center is full of amazing experiences, but none quite as breathtaking as Skylift,” said EB Kelly, senior managing director at Tishman Speyer and head of Rockefeller Center. “The thrilling experience of revolving 900 feet above ground for 360-degree views, eye to eye with skyscrapers in the beating heart of New York City, is one no visitor will forget. Skylift is the crown jewel of our revitalization of Rockefeller Center, which has brought a new vibrancy and energy to every corner of campus.”

“Skylift is a concept without precedent as an experience atop a skyscraper, especially a historic landmark,” said MADGI principal Richard J. DeMarco, AIA. “As the architect for this project, we worked closely with experiential designer THG Creative and the Tishman Speyer team to create an unforgettable experience for both visitors and New Yorkers alike, allowing them to enjoy breathtaking, never-before-seen, unobstructed 360-degree views of New York City.”

Skylift at Top of The Rock is the last element in the modernization of the public observatory, joining The Beam, an interactive photo experience on the 69th floor that opened in late 2023 and recreates the famous 1932 photograph “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper.” This summer, the Welcome Gallery opened to the public, featuring an immersive theater show that introduces the history of Rockefeller Center.

The opening of Skylift also marks the completion of Rockefeller Center’s multi-year, campus-wide revitalization. This transformation includes new fine dining with restaurants Jupiter, Le Rock, and NARO; new shopping destinations including N.Peal, Todd Snyder, Rough Trade, and McNally Jackson; and continued dedication to the public art program with contemporary and international works from artists like Basil Kincaid, Melissa Joseph, and Dominique Fung.

Tickets to Skylift at Top of The Rock currently begin at $35 per person as an optional add-on to the Top of The Rock General Admission and Express Passes. Skylift is included in all VIP and VIP Rock Passes. The entrance is found along West 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Subway access is conveniently located beneath 30 Rockefeller Center along Sixth Avenue at the 47-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center station, serving the B, D, F, and M trains.

Source: Michael Young & Matt Pruznick – New York YIMBY / Photo Credit: Diane Bondareff, AP Images for Tishman Speyer / Skylift at Top of the Rock Observation Deck (via Drone Image) – Courtesy THG Creative