PAU Unveils Penn Station Redesign with Chakrabarti's 'Architecture of Memory'
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Amtrak's Andy Byford recently teamed up with Penn Transformation Partners to unveil new designs for a renovated Penn Station. The work, done by Vishaan Chakrabarti and Ruchika Modi from Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), aims to improve conditions for the more than 600,000 commuters who navigate the station daily. After nearly 30 years of research, Chakrabarti decided to focus on enhancing the existing station rather than relocating Madison Square Garden. The design emphasizes capacity, safety, and civic identity, drawing inspiration from the original Penn Station and other iconic landmarks. Ultimately, Chakrabarti hopes this project will set a standard for American infrastructure, demonstrating that transit spaces can be both functional and inspiring.
Key facts
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Amtrak's Andy Byford joined Penn Transformation Partners to unveil renderings.
- Design by Vishaan Chakrabarti and Ruchika Modi's Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU).
- Over 600,000 commuters use Penn Station daily.
- Chakrabarti has been thinking about the station for nearly thirty years.
- The design accepts that Madison Square Garden is not moving.
- Core issues addressed: capacity, safety, wayfinding, and civic identity.
- Inspired by original Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, and Eero Saarinen's TWA Flight Center.
- Chakrabarti calls it an 'architecture of memory' that acknowledges the past.
Entities
Artists
- Vishaan Chakrabarti
- Ruchika Modi
- Eero Saarinen
Institutions
- Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU)
- Penn Transformation Partners
- Amtrak
- Madison Square Garden
- Grand Central Terminal
- TWA Flight Center
Locations
- New York City
- United States