Location
110 West 78th Street
Completion
2025
Client
Aperture Foundation
Square Footage
8,000 SF
Architect
LEVENBETTS
Aperture Foundation Headquarters
Sciame is the Construction Manager responsible for the gut renovation and interior fit out of the Aperture Foundation’s new headquarters, located in a mixed-use building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side across the street from the American Museum of Natural History.
The head office will be occupying the building’s ground floor, allowing for greater visibility of the group’s exhibitions, bookstore, and public programing, while the cellar level will house additional offices for administrative and publication staff. A three-stop lift at the entry mezzanine will be installed making both the ground and cellar levels wheelchair accessible. The exterior portion of the building calls for the removal and replacement of the main entry door and the side lights of the building’s landmark facade to allow for an ADA entrance.
The project requires selective interior demolition of the ground floor slab areas and select excavation of the cellar floor for the installation of three sets of powder coated steel architectural stairs featuring hidden stringers and open risers. Additionally, structural steel and overlaying concrete is needed to integrate the new floor areas. The interior space involves high quality masonry restoration and new masonry work, and ceiling and wall framing with preferred lime wash on all exposed brick surfaces. The scope includes new systems (MEP/AV/IT/FA), bathrooms, kitchenettes, full height glass office partitions, polished concrete floors throughout, and an extensive furniture package including custom powder coated aluminum shelving systems and custom millwork desks and built ins.
What a night! A huge thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday to represent Team Sciame at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park!
Despite the weather, the Sciame team showed up strong, lacing up and powering through the 3½-mile course!
We’re proud of the determination, camaraderie, and good humor everyone brought to a soggy evening in the park.
#jpmcc
New York Construction’s Contractor of the Year – Looking back, 2006 was a standout year for Sciame Construction. We were honored as Contractor of the Year, a testament to our growing reputation for delivering some of New York City’s most architecturally daring and culturally significant projects.
In April 2006, Sciame Construction completed the Morgan Library and Museum Expansion, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and BBB Architects. The project was led by then EVP/Division Head Joseph Mizzi, who began his career at Sciame 11 years earlier in 1995.
The following month, our founder, Frank Sciame, passed the torch of day-to-day leadership by promoting Joseph Mizzi to President of Sciame Construction, while continuing to serve as Chairman and CEO.
This leadership transition helped shape the next chapter of our story, and was memorialized in the cover photo of New York Construction, and the firm’s Contractor of the Year honor.
Thanks a Half-Billion! – At Sciame Construction, we proudly led the effort to reimagine the WTC Memorial and Museum, a project of national significance. Frank Sciame, our founder, was tasked with creating a design that honored the original vision while staying within a $500 million budget. Working closely with Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and a team of 13 advisers, including notable figures like Jack Rudin and Robert Douglass, we developed cost-effective design options, ultimately reducing the budget from nearly $1 billion to $510 million. Our approach preserved key elements like the voids, waterfalls, and pools while optimizing infrastructure and resizing the museum. Sciame’s commitment to excellence ensured a memorial that balances beauty, dignity, and sustainability.
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center – Though relatively small in size, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center was a technically complex project successfully constructed and delivered by Sciame Construction. This groundbreaking laboratory made an outsized impact on global health. It was here that Dr. David Ho pioneered the development of the revolutionary “AIDS cocktail,” a combination therapy that transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition. His groundbreaking work earned him the title of TIME magazine’s Man of the Year, underscoring the center’s profound contribution to the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
