Tobin+Parnes wins award

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 9, 2002

Tobin Parnes Design Enterprises, the architectural and interior design firm which began work 13 years ago on a multi-faceted project to restore the famed Paramount Building at 1501 Broadway, became the recipient of a "special recognition" award at the "Making New York History" awards ceremony hosted by The Skyscraper Museum.

The purpose of the awards ceremony was to acknowledge outstanding renovations to commercial buildings completed over the past five years. While Tobin Parnes has yet to complete certain aspects of the Paramount project, the recognition bestowed by The Skyscraper Museum acknowledges outstanding components that have been completed, in particular the night lighting of the Paramount's upper setsbacks and the restoration of its glass globe and clock.

Says Robert Parnes, principal at Tobin Parnes Design Enterprises and the chief architect of the Paramount project, "Working on the restoration of the Paramount building over the past several years has been one of the highlights of my career. The project has presented many challenges, and meeting them has given me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. It is a great honor to have our work recognized by The Skyscraper Museum."

Panes is quick to add that the Paramount restoration project's successes are due in great part to the many others who worked by his side.

In particular, he acknowledges the work of Ann Kale Associates, lighting designers whose talented efforts brought about the illumination of the tower setbacks, George Stonbely, chairman of Clear Channel Spectacolor, who coordinated the restoration work on the globe and the clocks, and Tobin Parnes senior associate Andrea Dibner, who has worked tirelessly on many details of the restoration over the past two years.