Skylift allows groups of visitors to be lifted and rotated 30 feet above the 70th floor of 30 Rock, also known as Top of the Rock Observation Deck. This offers an unparalleled view of the city and a unique perspective looking down into the streets below. Once elevated, the platform revolves for a 360-degree viewing experience and a panoramic photo moment, creating a sensation of floating among skyscrapers.

Jim Shumway, Vice President - Project Delivery at TAIT, said, “We welcomed the opportunity to tackle a project with such exciting and unique challenges, all of which were overcome by the amazing team assembled. We’re proud of the engineering, fabrication, logistics, and installation expertise we brought to Skylift, along with the TAIT Navigator Automation Platform and Show Control System. We are delighted and humbled to finally see guests enjoying the efforts of this phenomenal team.”

Designed to run 16 hours a day, 365 days a year, Skylift required extensive engineering to ensure it can withstand the seasonal extremes of Manhattan’s unpredictable weather. Seismic and wind loading concerns added to the challenge, but with TAIT’s decades of experience creating machinery for attractions around the world, Skylift has been engineered to last via extensive fatigue analysis. The large machinery required to achieve the full vision of Skylift had to be disassembled into pieces that would fit into Rockefeller Center’s passenger elevators to reach the top floor of the building before reassembly on the roof.

At night, Skylift features a spectacular display of over fifty thousand LED lights, built into the art-deco style facade. Created by engineers, designers, and scenic artists in both the UK (Wakefield and Suffolk), and the US at the company’s headquarters in Lititz, PA, TAIT took on extraordinary technical challenges to help bring Skylift to life, both in the machine design and scenic finishes guests interact with daily.

Skylift transforms a limited space into a one-of-a-kind attraction that will surely be the location for making many memories, for future generations.

TAIT partners with artists, brands, IP holders and place makers to bring culture-defining, never-before-seen experiences to life. With a legacy of innovation spanning over 45 years, TAIT has grown from pioneering in rock ‘n’ roll concert staging to setting the global standard for extraordinary live events and experiences through cutting-edge technology, precision engineering, and creative design. TAIT’s 20 global offices have developed iconic productions and experiences in over 30 countries, all seven continents, and even outer space for renowned performers, theme parks, exhibits, and venues across the globe, including partnerships with Taylor Swift, Cirque Du Soleil, Royal Opera House, Nike, NASA, Bloomberg, Google, Beyoncé, and The Olympics.

For more than 90 years, Rockefeller Center has been a global icon in the heart of New York City. Conceived by John D. Rockefeller Jr. as a "city within the city," the Center comprises 13 buildings connected by an underground concourse.

Rockefeller Center is home to New York's leading attractions including The Rink, offering ice skating from October to March each year; and the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, featuring two new experiences: The Beam, recreating the iconic 1932 photo, and Skylift, elevating visitors on an open-air glass platform three stories above 30 Rock's 70th-floor rooftop for unrivaled, unobstructed 360-degree views. Live entertainment is offered throughout the year across NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall, the Today Show Summer Concert Series, and iNDIEPLAZA by Rough Trade. The Center stretches along Fifth Avenue and offers nearly 50 shops on two levels for discerning shoppers seeking the best in global and local brands. The Center is also a coveted retail destination for families and kids, featuring flagship stores from LEGO, FAO Schwarz, Nintendo, and McNally Jackson Booksellers. Hailed by The New York Times as the “Restaurant Event of the Year,” the Center is home to restaurants by Michelin-starred and James Beard-winning chefs such as NARO, Le Rock, and Jupiter, as well as new casual eateries such as FIELDTRIP, Tipsy Baker, and Puya Tacos. The Center boasts the city’s premier private event venues including Rainbow Room and exclusive rooftops such as 620 Loft & Garden and Radio Park. Rockefeller Center offers an outdoor, public museum experience with more than 100 permanent art works across campus along with rotating exhibitions and the gallery at legendary auction house Christie’s.

Visitors can join an official Rockefeller Center group or private VIP tour to learn about the campus’s art, architecture, and history. Rockefeller Center is open daily and features year-round public programming, events and activations on the Plaza. During the holiday season, the Center is home to the world’s most famous Christmas Tree, as well exclusive experiences such as Après Skate Chalets and Christmas Spectacular show featuring the Radio City Rockettes.

For more information or to purchase tickets to attractions and programs, visit rockefellercenter.com.