30 in 30: #23

January 24, 2007

30 in 30: #23

The George Washington Bridge Bus Station takes its name from its unique location, straddling a roadway in line with the bridge. This situation allows buses to enter and exit the bridge directly, without dealing with any other traffic. Additionally, cars and trucks crossing from New Jersey to Manhattan (and vice-versa) actually travel underneath the station which links with the MTA's A-train further underground.

Designed by Italian architect-engineer Pier Luigi Nervi and opened in 1963, the station is typical of his designs: formally inventive, plastic, and long-span. Although I can't say for sure what changes have been made to his design in the last 40+ years, it appears that various pieces have been added to accommodate a public accustomed to American comforts.

The most apparent disconnect between Nervi's concrete structure and its fittings is the plastic vaults that sit under the large roof upstairs and shelter those waiting from the wind. On the cold day I visited they seemed to be warranted, though they didn't have the intended effect as the wind found its way into the openings from which one would enter and leave.

Functional considerations aside, what these plastic tunnels unfortunately do is distract those waiting from seeing and experiencing the complex roof structure above. A triangular waffle slab is used for the horizontal surfaces. Clear and louvered glazing is fitted between more triangular framing on the vertical surfaces that project above the lower roof line. On an overcast day the effect isn't too impressive, but these light monitors do allow light to the waiting area below while still providing shade in the hot months. Natural ventilation is coupled with natural illumination to create a pleasing alternative to what could have been something reliant upon mechanical and electrical means.