Pepsi-Cola Corporation World Headquarters Building

Memorable slogans such as “More Bounce to the Ounce,” “Gotta Have It,” and “Change the Game” have made Pepsi-Cola, the drink created by Caleb Davis Bradham in North Carolina in 1893, a household name and a popular brand on restaurant menus and store shelves around the country. A surge in sales in the 1950s prompted company executives to commission a new building and in the winter of 1956—nearly 60 years ago—the engineers at Severud Associates decided to “Catch that Pepsi Spirit” and collaborate with architects from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill on the design for the Pepsi-Cola Corporation World Headquarters in midtown Manhattan.

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The Jefferson Memorial – Gateway Arch

Seeming to pierce the brilliant blue sky on a sunny day, the magnificent 630-foot-high St. Louis Gateway Arch pays tribute to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, homage to President Thomas Jefferson, and respect to engineering innovation at its best. The story of the arch begins in the early 1930’s when the mayor of St. Louis and a group of community leaders proposed a riverfront memorial to commemorate the city’s role in the westward expansion of the United States. However, it wasn’t until 50 years ago today—October 28, 1965—that the keystone was set to complete the memorial. (more…)

The Campus of Cornell University

Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, offers a rigorous education to myriad students from around the world. In the words of Ezra Cornell, the university was founded as a place where “any person can find instruction in any study.” Starting with just one building in 1868, the main campus where most of this instruction occurs now comprises 628 buildings spread over 2000 acres.
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JFK Center for the Performing Arts

What does Severud Associates have in common with Leonard Bernstein, Tennessee Williams, Agnes de Mille, and Aaron Copland? All have a place in the history of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
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The Crystal Cathedral

In  1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed a partnership for a little company they called Microsoft. That same year, Severud Associates—already in business for almost 50 years—was retained to design the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. A dazzling example of architectural and engineering imagination and innovation, the cathedral is shaped like a four-pointed star and its walls and roof are glazed with more than 10,000 panels of tempered glass, all held in place by an intricate frame of inter-connected steel trusses. (more…)

Madison Square Garden

In  September of 1961, sports fans in New York City had lots to cheer about. Yankee outfielder Roger Maris slammed his sixtieth home run to tie Babe Ruth’s record, and the decision was made to retain Severud Associates to design a new home for the Knicks and the Rangers in what would become the fourth arena named Madison Square Garden.
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Denver Airport Jeppsen Terminal

In  1989, Colorado’s Stapleton International Airport, originally known as Denver Municipal Airport, turned 60 and faced challenges to its operations that come with age. Fortunately, plans to build a more modern facility were already under way, and Severud Associates was retained to design the long-span roof, glass enclosure systems and curbside canopies for the Jeppesen Terminal at the new Denver International Airport. (more…)

The Seagram Building

In  1955, when the average cost of a new house was $10,950, average yearly wages were about $4,000, and the price of a black and white TV was $99.95, Severud Elstad Kruger Associates was retained as the structural engineer on the $36 million Seagram Building project in Manhattan. Working with acclaimed architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, Severud developed a structural system that became the prototype for high-rise buildings around the world. (more…)

A Legacy of Designing Schools

Eighty-five years ago, around the time the Yankees were playing the Cardinals in the 25th World Series, Norwegian-born Fred N. Severud was hanging a nameplate on the door of his new engineering firm. The year was 1928, and the firm was Fred N. Severud Consulting Engineer, known today as Severud Associates.
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