6 HUDSON YARDS, NEW YORK Marianne Kwok, a leader at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), acted as Design Director for much of the firm’s work at Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side. KPF master planned the new neighborhood and designed 10, 30 and 55 Hudson Yards. During her presentation, Marianne discussed the evolution of the site, dating back to 1815 when it was farmland, to the arrival of the Hudson River railroad in 1847 and its expansion in 1937, all the way to its use for the 2012 Olympics bid. This rezoning process incurred significant public investment in transportation, ultimately leading to KPF’s and Related Companies’ partnership in devising the new master plan. Marianne then explored the design and construction of 10 and 30 Hudson Yards, which she led alongside Bill Pedersen, Principal and Co-Founder of KPF, and a large team based in New York. The two towers anchor the development and tilt in opposing directions in purposeful dialogue. They also interact with the High Line, a relationship that posed significant consideration of the pedestrian experience within the elevated park, which cuts through the buildings higher than street level. Marianne also explained a particular design challenge for these dynamic towers: the articulation of their elevators at low, medium, and high-rise levels. The result – with 10 Hudson Yards opened in 2017 and 30 Hudson yards opening in 2019 – are landmark towers connected by a retail podium space that contributes to this vibrant urban fabric. In fact, 14 acres of the 28 acre site at Hudson Yards are dedicated to open, green space, including three separately landscaped parks. The Vessel, a structure of 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs, becomes a centerpiece for the public realm. Overall, Hudson Yards will have 4,000 new residences, 3 parks, a school, a hotel and one million square feet of retail and office space.