Award of Merit, Renovation/Restoration: Moynihan Train Hall
Elements from abroad were critical to the $1.6-billion conversion of the James A. Farley Post Office building into the 255,000-sq-ft Train Hall at Penn Station. The facade and building envelope subcontractor Seele, based in Bavaria, oversaw fabrication of 578 tons of steel in the Czech Republic and 2,936 aluminum and glass elements in Germany. The firm built two mockups there, which other team members reviewed as they visited the fabrication facilities. This overseas coordination resulted in the adaptive reuse of a large, mostly vacant building into public infrastructure that now is a sustainable model for reducing carbon emissions. The team rebuilt from the top down, increasing Penn Station’s concourse space by 50% and creating 730,000 sq ft of commercial space for Facebook, the U.S. Postal Service and others. Visitors will see key features such as the 92-ft-tall skylight, original columns, Quaker gray marble and central concourse clock.