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Since visiting the ICA in Boston; the redesign of Lincoln Center in NYC; and all parts of the High Line both past and future, it’s hard for me not to be excited about any project that Diller Scofidio + Renfro are involved with. So, it’s no surprise that when four architecture firms – Diller Scofidio & Renfro, SHoP Architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture — were asked by the Municipal Arts Society to reimagine an ideal Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, though appreciating all four proposals, the one that really won me over was theirs.

The design envisions the new Penn Station as a city within a city, a porous and light-filled civic structure filled with things to do. Apart from being downright spectacular in that multi-layered way that incorporates dramatic angles and lots of glass, the design transforms waiting into a fun event with spas, restaurants and other venues, making it more of a destination than simply a gateway to New York. In this plan, MSG will be located to the west end of the Farley building on Ninth Avenue, with access to Eighth Avenue.

Really, all four proposals are quite interesting and beautiful and definitely worth a look here, but Diller Scofidio & Renfro have my vote.

Images courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

via NYTimes