Our History
1923
Fridtjov Nikolai Sæverud graduates from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trondheim, Norway with a degree in civil and structural engineering. Shortly thereafter, he marries and emigrates to New York City.
1928
Fred N. Severud establishes a structural engineering practice, initially in partnership with James Ruderman.
1928
The firm’s first project is the St. Nicholas of Tolentine School in Queens, NY.1929
The firm is retained to consult on the design of the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City, NJ. It is the first of many projects in the healthcare sector that will become a mainstay of the firm's business.1929
The firm is retained to design a bank and office building in Hackensack, NJ. It is the first of many office building projects for which the firm will become well known.
1930
The firm is retained to design a theater for the Warners' chain in Morgantown, WV . It is among the first of many theater projects that will carry the firm through the Great Depression.1931
As a result of the Great Depression, James Ruderman leaves and the independent practice of Fred N. Severud is established.
1937
The firm is retained to design the CBS Columbia Square studio in Los Angeles, CA. The studio begins broadcasting in 1938.1938
The firm is retained to design pavilions for Missouri, Norway, Switzerland, and the Libbey-Owens-Ford Company at the New York World's Fair. The fair opens in 1939.
1940
The firm is retained to design the Fort Green Houses in Brooklyn, NY. It is one of many housing projects that will establish Severud's reputation as a leader in structural engineering.1943
The firm is retained to design the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. It is the first of many projects designed for this and other notable New York hospitals.
1946
The firm is retained by Random House to review definitions of technical terms for their dictionary.
1947
The firm is retained by architect Eero Saarinen to provide structural engineering for his entry in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial competition. With Severud's assistance, Saarinen wins the competition with his arch design in 1948.1949
Eivind G. Elstad and Max Krueger become partners of the firm, now known as Severud-Elstad-Krueger.1950
The firm is retained to design the J.S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC. The building, with its innovative arch and cable roof system, is completed in 1953.1951
The firm is retained to design the Charlotte Coliseum in North Carolina. Believed at the time to be the largest steel-framed dome in the world and the first in the United States, the building is completed in 1955.1953
The firm is retained to design alterations to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It is the first of many projects designed for the world-famous museum.1955
The firm is retained to design the Seagram Building at 375 Park Avenue in New York City. The building, which incorporates structural innovations such as field-bolted connections and a hybrid concrete-steel braced frame core, is completed in 1958.1956
The firm is retained to design the Museum of History and Technology in Washington, DC. It is the first of several projects designed by the firm on the National Mall.1956
The firm is retained to design the Pepsi-Cola Company World Headquarters at 500 Park Avenue in New York City. The building, which is supported on just 10 composite concrete-steel columns, is completed in 1960.1958
The firm is retained to design the New York State Theater of the Dance in New York City. It is the first of many projects designed by the firm at Lincoln Center.1960
The firm is retained to design the Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, MO. The monumental structure is completed in 1965.1960
Alfred Perrone, Werner Sturm, and Hannskarl Bandel become partners of the firm, now known as Severud-Perrone-Sturm-Bandel (1960).
1961
The firm is retained to design Madison Square Garden in New York City. The “World’s Most Famous Arena” also has the most innovative roof system of radial cables supported by a circular compression ring. The project is completed in 1968.1965
The firm is retained to design the United States Tax Court in Washington, DC. A cantilevered block of courtrooms is supported by six slender steel columns along the rear edge while post-tensioned steel cables resist the overturning moment. The building is completed in 1974.1968
Fred N. Severud is elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
1970
The firm is retained to design alterations to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It is the first of many projects designed for the world-famous museum.1973
Fred N. Severud retires after 50 years of distinguished structural engineering practice, 45 of them with his namesake firm.
1975
The firm is retained to design the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA. The triodetic steel lattice, composed of relatively lightweight chord and web members, creates the soaring space envisioned by architect Philip Johnson. The building is completed in 1980.1978
Tibor Szegezdy becomes a partner of the firm, now known as Severud-Perrone-Szegezdy-Sturm.
1978
Hannskarl Bandel is elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
1981
The firm is retained to consult on reconstruction of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, MO after the collapse of two suspended walkways.
1982
The firm is retained to design renovations and an addition to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The project is completed in 1992.1984
After the retirement of several partners, the firm is now known as Severud-Szegezdy.
1988
The firm is retained to design the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey's Liberty State Park. The building, the structure of which includes cast in place concrete, precast concrete tees, structural steel, and an aluminum geodesic dome, is completed in 1993.1989
After the retirement of Tibor Szegezdy, the firm is now known as Severud Associates, honoring the legacy of its founder, Fred N. Severud.
1990
The firm is retained to design the Jeppesen Terminal roof, glass walls, and curbside canopies at Denver International Airport. Non-linear analysis of the lightweight fabric and cable tensile structures is facilitated by computer software developed in-house. The airport opens in 1995.1997
The firm is retained to design the Reuters Building–3 Times Square in New York City. The project is completed in 2001.1998
The firm is retained to design the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. The project, on the last significant site on the National Mall, is completed in 2004.1999
The firm is retained to design the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park in New York City. The project, which employs a hybrid steel-first and concrete core, is completed in 2010.2000
The firm is retained to design the American Airlines Terminal Redevelopment at JFK International Airport in Queens, NY. The terminal and concourses, with long-span triangular steel truss roof framing, are completed in 2007.2001
The firm participates in the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center after the attacks of 9/11. Principal Edward DePaola is president of the Structural Engineers Association of New York, which coordinates the effort with the NYC Department of Buildings.
2002
Weiskopf & Pickworth becomes a part of Severud Associates
2005
The firm is retained to design the redevelopment of the James A. Farley Building in New York City and transform it into the Train Hall. The three-phase redevelopment is completed in 2021.
2005
The firm is retained to design extensive renovations and improvements to Madison Square Garden in New York City. The transformation is completed in 2013.2011
The firm is retained to design renovation of the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood, CA. A dome is added to the existing cable-supported roof to increase its rigging capacity. The project is completed in 2014.2012
The firm is retained to design One Vanderbilt Avenue in New York City. The high-rise office tower, which includes improvements to the adjoining Grand Central Terminal, is completed in 2020.2013
The firm is retained to design the renovation and expansion of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The project, which includes a dramatically hanging stairway, is the latest of several designed for the prestigious museum. It is completed in 2019.2014
The firm is retained to design the mixed-use 181 Mercer Street at New York University. The building replaces the former Jerome S. Coles Sports Center and includes dormitories, residences, athletic facilities, and performing arts spaces.2015
The firm is retained to design the MSG Sphere at the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas, NV. The structure of the immersive experience performance venue includes a concrete seating bowl, steel-framed dome, and exterior geodesic sphere with cast steel nodes.2018
The firm is retained to design a new super tall office tower at 270 Park Avenue. The building is located over existing train tracks beneath Park Avenue.
2020
The firm is retained to design signage, renovations, and additional tenant amenities at 3 Times Square in New York City.2020
The firm is retained to design the renovations of the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD.
2020
TSX Broadway project was commissioned to preserve the century old Palace theater with the additional complexity of adding new retail space and a contemporary hotel.2026
When completed in 2026, 270 Park Avenue will be New York City’s tallest all-electric skyscraper. Photo courtesy of DBOX for Foster+ Partners