Until one year ago, the renowned Times Square “bowtie” – the area between 47th Street and 42nd Street along the lengths of both 7th Avenue and Broadway – was overwhelmed with pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
In order to improve safety along the Broadway corridor and alleviate traffic conditions, the NYC Department of Transportation launched “Green Light for Midtown,” a pilot project to close Broadway to vehicular traffic and create new public spaces between 42nd – 47th Streets. To expedite the pilot, the paving and furniture utilized temporary materials. The initiative proved a huge success and as a result, Broadway will remain “open” to the public for pedestrians.
According to Craig Dykers, Snøhetta’s co‐founder: “Our goal is to improve the quality and atmosphere of this historic site for tourists and locals, pedestrians and bicyclists, while reducing the traffic impediments so the “center of the universe” will retain its edge while refining its floor.”
For over 20 years, Snøhetta has been involved with some of the world's most notable public and cultural projects. The company was founded when a group of young architects won the competition to design the new library in Alexandria, Egypt. Since then, the practice has expanded while maintaining its integrated, trans‐disciplinary approach – including architectural, landscape and interior design – towards all of its projects.
Established in Norway in 1989, Snøhetta has had offices in both Oslo and New York since 2004, when the firm was commissioned to design the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center site. In 2002 and 2008, respectively, Snøhetta was awarded the World Architecture Award for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. In 2004, the Library in Alexandria won the Aga Kahn Prize for Architecture. Since its completion in 2008, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet has garnered the Mies van der Rohe European Union Prize for Architecture and the EDRA (Environmental Design Research Association) Great Places Award, as well as the European Prize for Urban Public Space, The International Architecture Award and The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2010.
Together with an all‐star cast including: WxY architecture + urban design, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, BILLINGS JACKSON DESIGN, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects LTD, Pure + Applied, Weidlinger, Buro Happold, BEXEL, Wesler Cohen, and Ducibella Venter and Santore.
Snøhetta will soon begin the initial workshops to frame the design for the permanent public spaces at Times Square.
For press inquiries, please contact Kira Kupfersberger at kira@snohetta.com.