Merit Award - Greater than $200 million

New York once again has a grand rail entrance. The Moynihan Train Hall expands Penn Station into the old James A. Farley Post Office, built in 1912--fortunately, with a steel frame. The project team modified 4,000 tons of existing steel and added 6,000 tons more to transform the 20th-century postal building into a 21st-century transportation hub--and an icon for years to come.

Judge comment: “What was fascinating is that the structure, which had been perhaps wrapped in plaster for 100-plus years, is now unwrapped and has been exposed to view and becomes part of the sculpture of this beautiful space. It shows the resilience of steel: You can take that 110-year-old truss and still keep it working.” -Helen Torres, SE, PE, LEED AP, president and founder, Helen Torres & Associates

Owner: New York State/Empire State Development, New York
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, New York
Structural engineer: Severud Associates Consulting Engineers, PC, New York
General contractors: Vornado Realty Trust, The Related Companies, and Skanska, East Elmhurst, N.Y.