34 Street Hudson Yards Subway Station

The 7 Subway Extension was integral to the redevelopment of Hudson Yards. The decade-long project began with an extensive planning study – which extended the 7 Subway Line from its prior terminus at Times Square and continued to include the design of a large new subway station at 33rd and 11th Avenue, with two beautiful entrances within the new mid-block Bella Abzug Park. The station continues to be an essential driver of the ongoing larger Hudson Yards redevelopment. The station has brought Javits Convention Center and Hudson River Park closer to everyone in New York. Project leadership included women across the board. Ann Weisbrod, President of Hudson Yards Development Corporation, provided instrumental leadership. Through the duration of the project, first Poori Saikia-Eapen, then Judith Kunoff served as Chief Architect for MTA Transit. As the project moved to construction, Eve Michel was Lead Architect for MTA Capital Construction. Sandra Bloodworth, head of MTA Arts and Design, directed the program that led to the fabulous Xenobia Bailey station artwork. Beth Greenberg, Partner at Dattner Architects and Lead Station Architect, led an architectural team of up to 25 members throughout the design and construction phases. Dattner Architects’ Project Manager, Patricia Kettle, oversaw final design and construction activities, while Jenny Kapelyan (WSP) joined the project at its inception and rose to the executive role of Project Administrator. Sanja Zlatanic (WSP) was a lead tunneling engineer. Elizabeth Silver from MVVA led the design of Bella Abzug Park, a central (figuratively and literally) feature of Hudson Yards with Toshiko Mori leading the Park’s built structures’ design and station entrance canopies. The actual station was but a small piece of the larger multi-billion-dollar project, allowing the design team great freedom to explore materials, circulation and form (with the proviso that life safety, maintainability, cost and constructability were integral with aesthetic and dynamic elements of the design). Many of the architectural systems, such as digital signage integration and modular interior wall finishes) are now MTA standards. The professionalism, sensitivities and sensibilities of women leaders led to the project’s tremendous success and true urban renewal.