Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Moynihan Train Hall re-establishes a civic icon for New York, recaptures the original spirit of train travel to Penn Station, creates a new gateway to the city, and celebrates one of the greatest cities in the world
The new Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall, named after the visionary United States senator who proposed the project in the 1990s, is one of the most monumental civic projects undertaken in the city in a generation, and transforms the way millions of people interact with one of the world’s largest cities.
Moynihan Train Hall expands the Pennsylvania Station complex with a 486,000-sqft of rail hub in the landmark James A. Farley Post Office Building. Situated across Penn Station, it reverses the dark, overcrowded experience that so many commuters have endured for decades. It brings light to the concourses for the first time in more than 50 years, increases total concourse space by 50 percent, and restores the grandeur that was lost with the demolition of the original Penn Station half a century ago.
The new train hall is designed with a dramatic skylight that traverses the entire space and is arranged in four catenary vaults. To support the structure, SOM uncovered the building’s three massive steel trusses (which had been invisible to the postal workers a century ago). With a web-like structure, the bolted trusses add an extra sense of lightness – establishing a modern look and feel while displaying the workmanship of neo-classical design.
Each of the four catenary vaults is composed of more than 500 glass and steel panels. At the edges of each vault, the panels thicken to sustain greater structural loads, while at the apexes, which span 92 feet above the concourse, the panels’ depth lightens to enhance the airy ambience of the space. The trusses are equipped with new lighting fixtures that illuminate the train hall at night.
A new clock inspired by the analog clocks that were once prevalent at the original Penn Station – marks the center of the room. Along the eastern wall are four large LED screens, ticketing and information kiosks, waiting rooms, and a food hall, which surround the space on two floors. The signage and wayfinding identify the hospitality and platform entries by color to enable intuitive circulation through the station. SOM designed the station’s interiors with Tennessee Quaker marble, a material that evokes a sense of warmth, calmness, and grandeur that are central to the design.
For the long run, Moynihan Train Hall serves as an important precedent for redefining historic architecture. It targets LEED for Transit certification through a variety of measures, from the natural lighting of the skylight to its use of new mechanical systems that improve the indoor air quality.
Redefining The Workplace Experience
Figurr Architects Collective’s new head office design redefines workplaces for two innovative companies: Caivan and its subsidiary organization, the Advanced Building Innovation Company (ABIC). The design blends modern
A Landmark Development in a Historic Location
With the creation of the ‘Neuer Kanzlerplatz’ office district, Bonn now has an office complex in an attractive location that is equipped for the future. At the same time, the project has solved urban planning problems for the
A Unique Identity
Due to prevailing rules governing built-up areas, this project required a vertical tower since the ratio of built-up area permissible is 9 times the plot area. The vertical circulation core is planned on the southern side to mitigate heat gain and
A Social, Meaningful & Healthy Work Environment
The highly sustainable campus Eclipse is designed to foster an inspirational work environment. The 60-metre-high building offers approx. 27,000 m2 of light-flooded, contemporary office space with approx. 1,200 workplaces
A Robust & Sustainable Ensemble
De Zwarte Hond designs an office building and training facilities with an all-timber construction to create a circular, climate-adaptive, and nature-inclusive environment with high flexibility, scalability, and modularity. The new regional
The Misfit
Misfit]fit is a new six-storey, 32,000 sqft office building situated on a small vacant site in Toronto’s Liberty Village. The building’s program is comprised of four floors of flexible office space, retail at grade, and a rooftop sculpture garden
Reinforcing Sense of Community
Designed by ikon.5 architects, the L. Gale Lemerand Student Center transforms the Daytona State College campus. The 74,000-sqft L. Gale Lemerand student center at Daytona State College establishes an iconic presence to the campus along
Speaking A Personal Language
This 2400 sqft home in Southeast Bangalore, with parameters that go well beyond the physical and contextual realm, is a repository of memories and experiences, representing the ethos and cultural background of the family. The house evolved
Maximizing Efficiencies and Occupants’ Comfort
Xi’an, one of China’s largest inland cities, and the country’s ancient capital and historic eastern gateway of the Silk Road, has become a major hub for new technologies that include semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, aerospace
From Blueprint to Greenprint: Devising Renewable Energy in Residential Architecture
While responsible design principles remain the foundation of a sustainable building, embracing innovative strategies and harnessing the most effective tools during construction is just as essential in achieving the long-term