 |
|
Multiple light sources were installed in custom mountings so as to illuminate ramps and bridges without interfering with roadway lighting. |
Judges saw the Triple Bridge Gateway in Midtown Manhattan as more art installation than building project, but they were impressed at how the illuminated ramps and bridges—14 years in the making—turned an ugly intersection into something beautiful.
The three bridges span 9th Avenue at the juncture where vehicles emerge from the Lincoln Tunnel heading to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's Manhattan Bus Terminal and other points in Manhattan.
Local firm PKSB Architects won the commission in 1995, but it took until August 2008 to complete the project. They transformed the gritty terminal with a titanium façade and a new entrance canopy, and wrapped ramps and bridges in a stainless steel scrim with highly polished reflector panels and a spectacular lighting system. A computer-sequenced illumination scheme changes weekly, playing a rotating schedule of visual compositions that turn this one-time eyesore into a glowing public artwork. —Jay W. Schneider, Senior Editor
Related Stories
Industrial Facilities | May 11, 2015
SOM-designed Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute opens in Chicago
The new space will be a place for academia, industries, and civic bodies to collaborate.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
14 projects that push AEC teaming to the limits
From Lean construction to tri-party IPD to advanced BIM/VDC coordination, these 14 Building Teams demonstrate the power of collaboration in delivering award-winning buildings. These are the 2015 Building Team Award winners.
Building Team Awards | Apr 7, 2015
Unique test facility will help make wind power more feasible
A new facility at Clemson University makes it possible to test the huge stresses that large-scale wind turbines must be able to withstand.
Building Team Awards | Apr 5, 2015
UK's leading foot and mouth disease lab turns containment design inside out
A daring Building Team breaks the bunker mentality common to research containment with this light-filled, open facility in the English countryside.
Industrial Facilities | Mar 27, 2015
World’s first ‘climate positive’ data center is under construction in Sweden
Excess heat and steam from its servers and IT equipment will warm homes in a town already known for its energy efficiency.
Sponsored | Modular Building | Mar 16, 2015
Modular Space Showcase: Helping BP take command in the Gulf of Mexico
Immediate emergency response to minimize and remedy environmental damage called for temporary, modular spaces.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015
Proposed energy standard for data centers, telecom buildings open for public comment
The intent of ASHRAE Standard 90.4P is to create a performance-based approach that would be more flexible and accommodating of innovative change.
Industrial Facilities | Feb 27, 2015
Massive windmill will double as mixed-use entertainment tower in Rotterdam
The 571-foot structure will house apartments, a hotel, restaurants, even a roller coaster.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 25, 2015
Bjarke Ingels designs geodesic dome for energy production, community use
A new building in Uppsala, Sweden, will serve as a power plant during the winter and a venue for shows, festivals, and music events during the warm months.
Industrial Facilities | Feb 24, 2015
Starchitecture meets agriculture: OMA unveils design for Kentucky community farming facility
The $460 million Food Port project will define a new model for the relationship between consumer and producer.
