New York’s notoriously congested Times Square, now radically de-cluttered by Norwegian architect Snøhetta, has opened to the public.
Commissioned by the New York City Department of Transportation, Department of Design and Construction, Snøhetta’s design for the permanent pedestrian plaza cleared out decades of old infrastructure cluttering the square, while creating a unified ground plane from building front to building front.
Broadway was closed to car traffic in 2009 and the reconstruction has doubled the amount of pedestrian-only space at Manhattan’s core.
The design has transformed Times Square from one of New York’s most notoriously congested spaces into a radically open civic square, while also integrating utility and event infrastructure upgrades.
Craig Dykers, Snøhetta founding partner, said: "Conceived as a project whose success would be measured not only by its new aesthetic but also the long-term physical, psychological and economic benefits on its community, the reinvention of Times Square stands as a model for how the design of our urban landscapes can improve health and well-being of its users while providing an important stage for public gathering."
The "Crossroads of the World" has an average of 45 million visitors each year and is the most visited destination in New York and the United States.
Image via Snøhetta
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The pictures don’t make clear at all what exactly was done. They were not taken from the same place or angle and the question of what has happened to the traffic seems to be totally obscured.