Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan wins 2017 AIA award

Calling the designs “daring” but “achievable,” the 30th Street Station District Plan was recently given a 2017 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Award in regional and urban design.

The announcement was made on Friday last week that AIA has recognized the work of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP—and the long, long list of owners and partners—for being one of the “the best in urban design, regional and city planning, and community development.”

The award states:

All of the development concepts found in the plan are a direct response to universal stakeholder priorities about placemaking, preparing the historic station for the rest of the 21^st century, and improving the connections to the city’s diverse neighborhoods and cultural assets. Achieving those goals will mean working among some of the most complex infrastructure found in a single area. [...] The final plan, daring in its scope but achievable in its details, will create a new city fabric through a tapestry of streets, open space, and infrastructure while sparking renewed excitement about the future of Philadelphia.

The 30th Street Station District Plan is a massive project that has been years upon years in the making and includes the team of SOM, OLIN, multiple developers, SEPTA, Amtrak, and the City of Philadelphia. The goal of the project is to transform 30th Street Station and its surrounding neighborhood into a vibrant, mixed-use transportation hub with multiple public spaces.

Of course, it’s on a 30-year timeline, so it’ll be a long time until we see these renderings come to life. Still, it’s a good sign if the project is already winning accolades, right?

• Philadelphia 30th Street Station District Plan [AIA Awards]
• Finals plans for ambitious 30th Street Station District Plan unveiled [Curbed Philly]