George Washington Bridge Bus Station

Restored

George Washington Bridge Bus Station

Credit

John Bartelstone Photography

Site overview

The George Washington Bridge Bus Station (GWBBS), which opened on January 17, 1963, was designed by Dr. Pier Luigi Nervi, the noted Italian engineer-architect of the 1960 Olympic Stadium in Rome and other world-renowned structures. The bus station received the Concrete Industry Board's 1963 award as the structure in the metropolitan area that represents the best in conception, originality and applicability of concrete, both in design and construction. The station is built over the Trans-Manhattan Expressway (Interstate 95) between 178th and 179th Streets and Fort Washington and Wadsworth Avenues and features direct bus ramps on and off the upper level of the George Washington Bridge. In 2014, close to five million passengers on 337,000 bus trips passed through the station. (Port Authority of NY and NJ)

Awards

Design

Citation of Merit

Civic

The jury awards a Citation of Merit for the restoration of the George Washington Bridge (GWB) Bus Station. One of two buildings in the United States designed by Dr. Pier Luigi Nervi, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station opened in 1963 in conjunction with the lower level of the George Washington Bridge and the Trans-Manhattan Expressway. The facility’s architectural expression is a tour-de-force that incorporates concrete trusses and a unique butterfly-like roofscape above the West Building. After suffering from a certain degree of benign neglect, the building was identified in an Authority-wide study as a prime opportunity for revenue enhancement. In 2008, the Port Authority of NY & NJ selected a developer and STV, Inc. as the restoration architects. Although the GWB Bus Station is not a designated landmark, it was treated as such, and conceptual efforts were shared with the New York State Historic Preservation Office and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Great attention was paid to developing a ‘modern intervention’ that is respectful of the historic structure, and in fact celebrates the structure, by its sensitive incorporation into the new program.

“As bus stations continue to be lynchpins of modern urban transportation infrastructure, the restoration of the GWB Bus Station was thoughtfully executed and serves as an important example of a government agency choosing to invest in the restoration of a significant modern resource instead of opting for new construction.”

- 2018 Jury
Client

The Port Authority of NY & NJ

Restoration Team

The Port Authority of NY & NJ – Engineering Department, Architectural Unit

STV, Inc.

How to Visit

Open to the public

Location

Between Ft. Washington and Wadsworth Avenues, and West 178th and West 179th Streets
New York, NY, 10033

Country

US
More visitation information

Designer(s)

Completion

17 January 1963