On February 15, New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani announced that John Choi & Tai Ropiha from Sydney, Australia are the winners of the international competition to redesign the Theatre Development Fund's TKTS discount ticket booth in Duffy Square, New York City. Since 1973, the TKTS booth has played an integral part in supporting the performing arts in New York.
Internationally known for its same-day sales of discount tickets, the TKTS booth has sold 37.6 million tickets to thousands of Broadway, Off Broadway, music and dance productions. Through these discount ticket sales, the theater community has seen a return of over $770 million in revenues. The re-vitalization of Times Square and the age of the existing booth created the need for a new structure to better serve consumers.
The winning entry's design will provide many amenities that the old booth cannot currently offer. For example, the line for the booth will be arranged so consumers can fall right into line immediately after exiting the subway. The wedge-spaced structure features a staircase facing south on Times Square, thereby giving TKTS users and visitors a chance to rest while viewing the rest of the neon-lit theater district. Construction of the new booth is scheduled for early 2001.
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