Pennsylvania Station | Kacper Rojek

The work on the project has been divided into three parts. First I examined the connection between the city and Pennsylvania Station in particularly the reason for construction. Then I focused on the current condition in both outside and inside of the station. This part's goal was to answer the question, whether there still exists a relationship between New York and the station. The last stage at the designing process was based on the previous theoretical investigation.

                The investigation of the present condition contained the structure of the city, transportation and the plans for future development in this area. Despite advanced degradation and chaos of the place I concentrated on the positive sides of the site. The potential of its accessibility, the number of daily passengers and the proportions of the space had been rated among the advantages. The analysis showed a big disproportion between both quality and scale i.e. the size of the space offered number of benefits given. The dark and stuffy station is used by more than 600000 passengers on daily basis in contrast to the spacious arena of Madison Square Garden above, with 25000 people using it.

                The conclusion was: To improve the condition of both the station and the space around it was necessary to turn the station "upside down". The best solution to do it is to open the whole area and connect visually both over- and underground spaces. I resigned from the large scale architectural forms. On the one hand, this object could be compared with the scale and quality of the old station, which could have a negative influence on the future project, on the other hand a big scale object could start to create a similar problems to those already known.

                The offered park i.e. plaza with the lack of clear boundaries between the inside and outside is the response to the requirements. To define the needs better I base this project on the outcome of the BMW Guggenheim Lab workshop. From 100 definitions only ten had been chosen and fitted to the characteristics of this project.

                The overground public space was created trough a large scale abstract sculpture whose dimensions had been fitted to the interiors of old Pennsylvania Station. The old interiors consist of three spaces: shop centre, main hall and the main waiting room. Comparing that situation to the present project, another three spaces around the sculpture can be distinguished. The main plaza with main entry on the side of the 7th Avenue, open public space around and under the form and so called the center. The center creates an amphitheater space, where some events can be organized. Here the citizens can sit on the sculpture and have a minute to admire the skyline of New York. Exactly here also the two spaces are connected. Beeing in the underground space the passenger can admire the city above their heads, the citizens on the plaza can watch the station trough the partly transparent flooring as well. At this place the sculpture cuts through the roof and goes to the ground.

All the facilities were located in a clear and simple way. Divided into zones, they shorten the ways. Going into the underground spaces, exactly after the entries all the platforms are visible and are equally accessible. Removing all the old columns and putting the new ones between the tracks set the new space free. This move created new opportunities to form other waiting spaces on the platforms. Simplicity and clarity of the plan, equally number of elevators and escalators on every platform nearly halved evacuation time. Other new facilities of the design are uniform signs. Two main passages: 7th and 8th Avenue were highlighted, which gives direct information, particularly useful to incoming passengers, indentifying the part of the city i.e station were they are. All the facilities are grouped in zones: Ticket-Center, Restaurants and shops. There is a possibility for airplane passengers to check-in. Using the example of swiss trains, the baggages can be transported directly from the ticket-center to the train and next to the airport.  The simplicity and typology of the project cause that it can be also adapt to the tow current projects of Moynihan Station and enlargement of the station under 31st West Street.

Whereas the historic relations between the city and the station were simple to investigate, the contemporary relationship are hard to contain. Is there any one word, which describe the present New York City? Of course not! This concept, on the one hand, continues an great legacy of abstract art while on the other hand it sets free an old vision of the station as a closed space and creates a public spaces for many new activities.