SOM proposes to fantastically expand penn station

SOM proposes to fanastically expand penn station, new york city

image © SOM

the mega firm SOM has been instrumental in shaping the new york city skyline, what with the design for one world trade center; however, their vision for a more livable new york readily entertains forward-thinking infrastructure that integrates the existing dynamism of the city and the expectation of growth. responding to a design challenge put forth by the municipal art society of new york to redesign the busiest train station in north america, the proposal calls for the transplantation of madison square garden to an adjacent site, while fantastically expanding the cramped penn station into an efficient, green vortex of circulation. the proposal is remarkable in it’s approach to density and seeks to strike a balance between consolidation and expansion.

the proposal is focused on making penn station a dignified gateway both with striking architectonics and more intuitive circulation. the expansion of the transit hub’s footprint by two additional blocks makes for the accommodation of high-speed rail lines from the northeast corridor as well as direct railconnections to major airports and commuter rail services for the entire tri-state area. in keeping with the idea of the complex as the civic heart of midtown west, the grand architectural gesture consists of a central, large-scale transparent ticketing hub lined with retail spaces. the layered, vertical park sportsgreen space four times the size of bryant park while asserting the center as an important and multifaceted urban gateway. four mixed-use towers monumentalizeand consolidate city programming, boasting more offices that rockefeller center and more cultural hotspots than lincoln center to punctuate the green-clad funnel of circulation that would so characterize the skyline.

regarding the guiding forces of design, the firm reasoned:

‘with all of these networks intersecting at penn station, its central hall would become the iconic gateway for nearly every visitor around the world.’