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
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.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2015
New Appraisal Institute form aids in analysis of green commercial building features
The Institute’s Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum offers a communication tool that lenders can use as part of the scope of work.
Contractors | Feb 6, 2015
Census Bureau: Capital spending by U.S. businesses increased 4.5%
Of the 19 industry sectors covered in the report, only one had a statistically significant year-to-year decrease in capital spending: the utilities sector.
Public Health Labs | Jan 29, 2015
Breaking out of the box: Pirbright Institute’s radical approach to biocontainment facility design
The novel scheme turns the typical containment lab building inside out, placing the high-containment spaces at the perimeter to provide researchers with daylight and views.
| Jan 21, 2015
Tesla Motors starts construction on $5 billion battery plant in Nevada
Tesla Motors’ “gigafactory,” a $5 billion project on 980 acres in Sparks, Nev., could annually produce enough power for 500,000 electric cars.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.