Architect: Grimshaw

Client: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Location: Manhattan, New York  

The Fulton Centre is a large New York Subway station located in Lower Manhattan only blocks away from ground zero. The Centre was designed to be a catalyst for the  redevelopment of the area. The station links nine subway lines while processing 300,000 passengers daily. The building is organised around a grand, central opening and the use of tapered steel columns draws inspiration from the surrounding neighbourhoods historic cast iron design. This also complements the Corbin Building to which it is partly integrated. 

This project is located deep in Lower Manhattan in a densely populated area and is surrounded by high rise buildings. The Fulton Centre itself is one of, if not, the lowest building in the area but the raised oculus that protrudes from the roof gives it a slight advantage. New york experiences an average of 12 hours of daylight each day and this varies by about three hours throughout the year. Of this average of 12 hours 57% are sunlight. New York also has a mean UV index of 9. The city does experience a certain amount of cloud due to its maritime position but the fluctuation in daylight hours is moderate.

Grimshaw is a global architecture firm founded by Nicholas Grimshaw. They have vast experience in designing transport hubs and have contributed designs to Waterloo Station, Paddington Station, London Bridge Station and Southern Cross Railway Station Melbourne. Along with railway station they have also worked on Heathrow, Manchester and Zurich airports to name a few.

The Fulton Centre is a masterclass in daylight design. The centerpiece and focal point of the entire project is the angled oculus that reflects light from high above street level deep into the New York Subway system. This a historically dark and artificially lit infrastructure. The design is pioneering in terms of subway station designs as it is highly uncommon to have such naturally lit spaces so deep in the subway system. The main hall of the building maintains a pantheon like atmosphere where the sky is exaggerated through the sloped dome. The ring and oculus itself are angled southwards to avail of the full extent of the daylight. Grimshaw’s design was partially rooted in biologist EO Wilson's theory of biophilia. This is that people work, live and feel better when they are connected with nature. This theory and design idea are integral to the oculus where light shimmers through the top and reflects off GFRC (glass fibre reinforced concrete) aluminium ceiling panels. This light funnel is the result of a fruitful collaboration between architect and engineer. In this case the architect being Grimshaw, the engineers being Schlaich Bergermann und partner and Arup and James Carpenter Design Associates, another architect who was brought in to specifically design the dome. These panels are all linked together through a cable net funnel that stretches back at the bottom of the north end to allow the natural light to reach deeper into the building and subway. Both directly through the oculus and by way of reflection through the funnel's perforated, diamond-shaped optical-grade aluminium panels the middle sections of the building are thoroughly lit. The exterior walls of the building at ground level to the north and west are both glazed curtain walls. These transparent walls are built around tapered steel columns which take inspiration and link the building to the older Corbin Building which makes up the southern facade of the Fulton Centre. The steel columns also tie the building to the style that was used in the historically industrial area in the past. The clear facades allow the streetscape to permeate the building.

With regards to how this project fares when viewed through the lens of the three principles of daylight design it is a success. Aesthetically the building is a masterpiece. It stands out beautifully on a busy New York street corner. The amalgamation of both glass and steel are modern whilst still retaining the historical fabric of an area with a rich history of an industrial past and steel design. Although the exterior is fabulous it is only from the inside that the true aesthetic beauty of this structure is revealed. Not only does the line between the street and the interior become very thin but it is the central oculus that draws the attention. The cable net is more of an art installation than it is structural and it is the perfect mixture of both that make the space so wonderful. The daylight that is facilitated by the oculus is what makes the space so aesthetically pleasing. This ties in to how the building functions excellently as well. The oculus is so perfect that it allows the light to deeply penetrate the building to its core. This is helped by the light from street level which both lights the entranceways but also supplements the light that is coming in directly from the transparent roof. This again leads into the efficiency of the building and mainly the light from the oculus. By having the main light source in a building be completely natural it is clearly quite efficient. This is added to by, again, the street level light but what is special about this building and its purpose as an underground railway station, and in this respect is unlink traditional underground railway station, and especially those in New York, is that the light reaches deep into the parts of the building that are below ground level. This negates the need for artificial light during periods of the day and year that there is enough natural light of a suitable quality to, not only illuminate the upper levels of the building, but also to provide suitable illumination to those levels below ground level. This efficiency is a testament to the design of the structure and the techniques deployed by the architect, notably Grimshaw, when constructing this new Manhattan terminal.

The Fulton Centre redevelopment was always part of a wider plan with Grimshaws design only being a part of it. A concourse was constructed to link the Fulton Centre to Santiago Caltrava’s new station beside ground zero along with the refurbishment of subway stations in the surrounding area.

Photography by Patrick Ewing.

Products in the News: New Fulton Center Subway Ceiling Panels from Stromberg

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