Port Authority Bus Terminal: PANYNJ Design + Deliverability Competition

Port Authority Bus Terminal Design + Deliverability Competition: A Case Study

New York, NY

A groundbreaking vision for the world’s largest bus terminal capitalizes on existing infrastructure, creating a robust transit network and new urban neighborhood to benefit tens of thousands of New Yorkers and commuters every day.

Rising up to meet Manhattan’s increasing transit demands is “Convergence,” Perkins Eastman’s entry into the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s International Design + Deliverability Competition. As the lead architect and designer with a team of internationally acclaimed engineers and development planners, Perkins Eastman designed a plan that places bus operations in the basement level of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, creates a new pedestrian-friendly corridor and resilient waterfront overlook, and reimagines the current terminal as a prosperous mixed-use development.

Project Facts

  • Client:

    • Port Authority of New York & New Jersey

  • Size:

    • 8 million sq. m.

  • Services:

    • Sustainability

  • Markets:

    • Transportation + Infrastructure

  • Region:

    • United States

  • Studios:

    • New York

    News

  • “Red Tape Is Keeping New York City’s Landscape Stuck in the Past” – New York Magazine
  • “5 Teams Shortlisted for Redesign of New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal” – ArchDaily
  • “REVEALED: Port Authority Releases Five Design Proposals for New Bus Terminal” – 6sqft
  • “Port Authority Unveils Finalist Proposals for Bus Terminal Redesign” – Curbed NY
  • “PA Mulls New Bus Station Plans” – Real Estate Weekly
  • “Architects Propose Facelifts for Two Major New York City Transit Hubs” – Architectural Record
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    Starting with a look back at celebrated transportation destinations of early 20th Century New York, the Perkins Eastman team conceived of an idea to house bus terminal operations inside an already existing grand structure, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Inspired by the glass domes of the original Penn Station and the seamless integration of public transit and city life at Grand Central Station, designers wanted to make the Javits Center’s beautiful, spacious glass structures accessible and functional for a broader range of people.

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    The “Convergence” plan is about doing what makes sense for the Port Authority, for the City of New York, and for the hundreds of thousands of people crossing the Hudson River each day. The construction of new facilities would not impede on current terminal operations, allowing New Yorkers and commuters to maintain their daily commutes without hassle during implementation.

     

    After conducting in-depth circulation and feasibility research, the team found that by placing the terminal in the bottom levels of the Javits Center, buses would have direct access to the Lincoln Tunnel.

    The design solution:

    • eliminates the need to build a new network of ramps above street level
    • cuts down on street congestion
    • enhances connection for pedestrians, bikers, and ferry and subway riders

     

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    Pushing the boundaries of urban design, the team envisioned engaging, resilient new and renewed spaces. At the Javits Center, comfortable mezzanines with glass walls offer passengers safety and visibility not often found in underground terminals, while a new transit entrance welcomes commuters upstairs. Locals and visitors to Midtown West benefit from three new major public places: The Great Overlook, Lincoln Market, and the Trans Hudson terminal, each of which activate different sections of the neighborhood.

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    By leveraging existing buildings and infrastructure, the design team outlined a limited construction budget that maximizes public investment for beneficial public spaces that honor the neighborhood’s character and history. On the former bus terminal site, a new mixed-use development and public square would generate commercial revenue, one of many aspects of the largely self-financing plan.

    “What was supposed to be a $10-15 billion dollar project—the new Port Authority Bus Terminal—ended up being zero cost in this design plan. There’s a new waterfront, new public spaces, and buses and trucks are off the street. We leveraged public dollars, which usually go to infrastructure, in a way that creates and builds the neighborhood.” –Peter Cavaluzzi, FAIA

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