Citizen Brooklyn

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

TreeHugger recently showed Foster and Partners’ proposal for A Grand Central Terminal For The Next Hundred Years; it was one of three firms invited by the New York Municipal Art Society to envision changes to the famous transit hub.

Skidmore Owings and Merrill, (SOM) is the second of the firms, and if Lord Foster was reserved and elegant, SOM goes WOW, way up and way down.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

There are two key components of the scheme: the transit improvements that are below the existing station (way below) and the office space and tourist attractions above.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

An entire new station is carved out below the existing and it is deep; these guys clearly didn’t watch the Day After Tomorrow. It’s not quite clear what holds the existing station and all that stuff up in the air above the station.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

It is very dramatic, though.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

There are big holed dug around the station to bring light into the new one below; view looking north;

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

Another view.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

Above the station, recognizing the importance of the tourist industry to the city of New York, there is an enormous sort of ferris wheel on its side that runs up and down the sides of two massive new office buildings. Perhaps it is evocative of the Camel smoke rings that used to blow in Times Square.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

Here they are, at the top.

Photo ©Municipal Art Society of New York

It certainly is a lovely view.

Like the Foster proposal, the graphics and drawings are incredible. Unlike the Foster scheme, SOM is a lot more pie in the sky. However riding that ring would be a trip.