Reconstruction of Penn Station in New York by SOM

New York's Pennsylvania Station represents the busiest train station in North America, with 300,000 passengers per day. The station building itself, built in 1910, has also had a bustling life. The massive Neoclassical station concealed a filigree structure inside that allowed for perfect illumination of the departure platforms. In 1963, the station was demolished, the railway hub moved underground, and Madison Square Garden with a pair of administrative buildings rose in its place. Traveling from Penn Station became a nightmare. The station has survived in makeshift conditions for decades, but now there is hope that the famous Madison Square Garden could be replaced by a station complemented by essential commercial functions.
The Municipal Art Society commissioned four New York firms: Shop Architects, SOM, H3 Hardy, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro to revive public discussion. The architects were given no limits in their creation. The most daring approach to the project was taken by SOM, which spread a massive platform with a funnel-shaped rooftop garden among the quartet of skyscrapers. The cosmic dome-shaped form, with a diameter of one hundred meters, allows sunlight to penetrate into the station hidden deep underground.

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