Times Square Transformation has come to an end after 8 years, led by the architectural firm Snøhetta. The process was very long and complex, but the spirit of one of the most emblematic places in New York was completely changed, as it went from being one of the most congested and unbearable places in the Big Apple to a friendly and meeting public space .

Times Square Transformation, adding more than 10,000 square feet of pedestrian-only space, Snøhetta’s design completely reimagined the segment of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets. Seating areas, including granite benches, were added, allowing people feel more comfortable.

Times Square Transformation is located in the heart of New York’s theater district, the site has already had a significant impact on public safety, economy and user experience since the first part of Snøhetta’s grand plan implementation during the year 2014. According to the architects, since then pedestrian accidents have decreased by 40% and vehicular accidents by 20%. The iconic buildings of Times Square and their spectacular signs create an external room in the heart of Manhattan.

Architecture firm Snøhetta completed New York’s Times Square Transformation, nearly doubling the pedestrian areas in the busiest place in the United States. The project included the urban reconfiguration and landscaping treatment of 5.18 acres (2.1 hectares) at the “bowtie” intersection between Broadway and 7th Avenue in midtown Manhattan. With the opening on the 19th, the 8-year-old Times Square Transformation has been officially declared complete.

The Norwegian firm with a subsidiary in the United States, Snøhetta, has redesigned a large section of Broadway between 42nd and 47th streets, creating five squares between each of the streets.

Times Square Transformation radically transforms 2.1 has made spaces for pedestrians in midtown Manhattan, transforming a notoriously congested intersection into a world-class civic space. With subtle design gestures within the public realm they integrate crucial utility and infrastructure improvements above and below grade, while doubling the amount of pedestrian space in the Plaza.

The design of the new Times Square Transformation plazas allows people to move naturally and comfortably through the core of Manhattan. With a very positive impact on public safety, air quality and economic output, the project is a model of how the carefully considered design of our urban landscapes can improve the health and well-being of its users, providing an important space for democratic activation. Conceived as a project whose success Times Square Transformation would be measured not only by its new aesthetic but also by its long-term physical, psychological and economic benefits to its local and global community, the new Broadway plaza has reinvented Times Square as a contemporary setting for the spectacle of public life, reviving its place in the heart of New York City.

The New York City Department of Transportation, the Department of Design and Construction, Snøhetta and the Times Square Alliance celebrate the completion of a Times Square Transformation, as the revamped “Crossroads of the World” assumes its role as the stage for public life And the expression freedom.

With an average of over 45 million visitors each year, Times Square is the most visited destination in New York and the United States. After Broadway’s closure to traffic in 2009, Snøhetta’s design cleared the square to make it permanently pedestrianized, after several decades, with the old infrastructure overcrowded. Furthermore, the proposal at the same time created a unifying ground plane from building to building. Ten 15 meter long granite benches allow pedestrians to move around the area more comfortably, complementing the energy of the lights and the excitement of the facades.

Since its completion in 2016, the Times Square Transformation has doubled the amount of pedestrian space in the heart of Manhattan. The design has transformed Times Square, one of New York’s most notoriously congested spaces, into a radically open civic plaza, while integrating crucial improvements to facility and event infrastructure. “Conceived as the Times Square Transformation, whose success would be measured not only by its new aesthetic, but also by its long-term physical, psychological and economic benefits, the reinvention of Times Square is a model of how the design of our urban landscapes can improve the health and well-being of its users, while providing an important element for the public gathering”.