Archinect - News

Foster + Partners finishes work on revamped Penn Station entrance

2023-11-20T16:49:00-05:00

A dramatic new makeover of Penn Station’s entrance at 7th Avenue and 32nd Street in Manhattan has been completed by Foster + Partners and AECOM for clients Amtrak and the Vornado Realty Trust.

The rebuilding project expands the entrance’s width by 50 percent while making it safer and fully ADA-accessible for 600,000 daily users of what is considered the nation’s busiest train station.

Image: Fernando Sandoval/MW

A new canopy and LED display were constructed at the entryway, which now features a wider staircase, new interior lighting feature, improved elevator access, and an added third escalator for enhanced circulation. Outside sidewalks and the surrounding plaza were also expanded. The project complements part of Vornado and MdeAS Architects’ redevelopment of the adjacent PENN 2 Tower while creating what Amtrak describes as a “sense of place and civic monumentality.”

Image: Fernando Sandoval/MW

In a press statement, Foster + Partners’ Head of Studio, Nigel Dancey, commented: “We h...

NCARB announces new ARE 5.0 accommodations forms, other updates

2023-07-20T17:28:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has a slate of changes that will impact ARE 5.0 exam takers effective August 1st.

The changes include new online application forms made available for those who qualify under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or any English as a Second Language (ESL) candidates. The exam's guidelines will now include information on these applications, in addition to “other policies and resources.”

The council has made these forms available through My NCARB and says the ARE 5.0 Guidelines also include detailed steps for requesting accommodations through the online forms.

A new policy governing rescheduling fees for the exam has also been implemented as well. Any first-time candidate applying to reschedule can do so for free, while subsequent requests will require a $50 fee. Additionally, any second or third petitions to r...