August 4, 2022

International Architectural Firm Founded by Norman Foster will Partner with U.S.-Based Design and Engineering Firm Epstein to Provide Architectural Design and Support During Ongoing Federal Environmental Review

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) today announced the selection of an architectural joint-venture to assist in developing the agency’s vision for a reimagined, state-of-the-art Midtown Bus Terminal. The new terminal replacement project will have expanded capacity to accommodate commuter bus growth through 2050 and also accommodate intercity buses that now pick up and drop off on the streets surrounding today’s outdated terminal. The project will also provide new off-street capacity for buses waiting their turn to pick up and drop off, as well as capacity for storing buses between the morning and evening rush periods.

Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone as the Port Authority moves toward replacing the aging 72-year-old bus terminal with a new world-class facility. The new terminal will be designed to provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21st century public transportation needs, while enhancing the surrounding community and allowing for the removal of intercity buses from local streets.

International firm Foster + Partners and the U.S.-based multi-disciplinary design firm A. Epstein and Sons International Inc. will provide architectural design services for the replacement project beginning immediately and throughout the design phase and the environmental review of the proposed project. The Foster + Partners/Epstein team are both leaders in densely populated urban environments, as well as in designing major transportation facilities.

Most notable among Foster + Partners’ community-focused transit projects are their work on the New Slussen masterplan, one of the largest redevelopment and transportation projects in Sweden; the award-winning sustainable design for Bloomberg L.P. headquarters in London; the mixed-use transit and public green space project of Crossrail Place Canary Wharf also in London, and the Jeddah Metro masterplan in Saudi Arabia.

Noteworthy among Epstein’s substantial U.S. infrastructure and civic projects is the firm’s work on the renovation and expansion of the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, which gives the team a deep well of familiarity with the Midtown West Manhattan area.

As part of their design effort, the team will review, evaluate, recommend, and provide advisory services on urban design, streetscape, functionalism, community impact, design and spatial strategies, materials, systems, sustainability, and interior design. In addition, it will provide critical support during the ongoing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and ensure that the architectural design contemplated is consistent with the Port Authority’s ambitious goals for the proposed project. The firm will provide their services to the Port Authority as advisory and consulting services.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to align our vision with that of the Port Authority to bring the future of transport and mobility to this vital hub for the entire region,” said Paul Sanderson, the director of Epstein’s New York office. “After over a decade working with local partners to reinvent the Javits Center nearby, we cannot wait to work with the commuters and the community surrounding the bus terminal on this historic project with such transformative potential. The greatest city in the world deserves the best facility in the world, and we aim for no less than that.”

For further information on this announcement and the project please visit - https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/press-room/press-release-archives/2022-press-releases/port-authority-announces-two-firm-team-of-world-renowned-archite.html