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BIG's just-revealed proposal for Two Penn Plaza includes an undulating frilly facade

BIG's just-revealed proposal for Two Penn Plaza includes an undulating frilly facade

New York‘s affinity for Bjarke Ingels‘ work looks set to continue as images have appeared online by the Danes’ firm, BIG, for Two Penn Plaza. The project, in collaboration with developer Vornado, appears to reclad the tower with an all-glass facade that fans out at ground level.

Prior to this, Two Penn Plaza has had a stale existence, seen by some as all too willing to fade into the urban background and be forgotten. New York Yimby even went so far as to describe it as an “architectural failure,” considering its proximity to Penn Station, on which it makes a “particularly negative impact.”

This isn’t the first time Vornado has attempted to mix things up in the area, either. According to The Real Deal, the developer initially set out to combine One and Two Penn Plaza, merging them into one 4.2-million-square-foot complex. This scheme too involved re-cladding the facade. A plan to redress One Penn Plaza is also in the pipeline.

BIG, it turns out, has come up with two proposals—albeit not drastically different—that both make use of a glass facade.

The most significant changes, however, concern the retail aspect of Two Penn Plaza. In the lower levels, floorplates have been realigned to make way for more space. Aesthetic alterations affect the street level the most, allowing for increased visibility to passersby. In terms of structure, BIG has chosen to fan the glass facade out over the sidewalk, enabling the building to act as a threshold to the space while also providing cover for pedestrians.

 

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