Swanke Hayden Connell wins AIA award for WTC design

Real Estate Weekly, Oct 25, 2000

A cutting-edge design for the World Trade Center Plaza by Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA) was one of only four projects honored by the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The recipients of this year's Project Awards are to be feted at an awards ceremony on Dec. 18.

The project grew out of a request by The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for a stage that would accommodate a variety of outdoor events at the World Trade Center.

The design takes the concept several steps further, envisioning a tilted lawn that replaces the central fountain and not only functions as a grass amphitheater but also provides an inviting surface. Additionally, the design interacts compositionally with the complex's large minimalist buildings. The lawn faces a drawbridge spanning a reflecting pool which, when raised, doubles as a stage. An attenuated blade-like skylight houses new escalators that descend to the heart of the concourse mall, bringing its subterranean spaces to the outdoors.

By integrating a park-like setting into the life of the plaza, the design supports the goal of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the World Trade Center, to begin to create a twenty-four hour community.

Swanke Hayden Connell Architects is the continuation of a practice founded in 1916. Staffed with more than 250 professionals located in six offices worldwide, the firm provides services in architecture, interior design, strategic facilities planning, and preservation/restoration to a variety of cozporate, institutional, education, and healthcare clients.