TCAT City Center Project

Ithaca, New York

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Winner of 2008 AIA Rochester Design Excellence Award
Winner of 2007 Ithaca Pride of Ownership Award

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A true example of 'Design-by-Consensus', the Seneca Street Bus Shelter for Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) was developed from the input of multiple governmental agencies, advocacy groups, business associations and the public. The result is a regional landmark and transportation hub, equipped with the latest technology, that serves the most trafficked section of Ithaca and Tompkins County.

 

The primary design feature of the shelter is a zinc-clad roof that undulates and weaves itself into the existing parking garage. The roof's gentle curves soften the massive concrete garage, provide human scale at the street level, and offer protection from the elements.

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The canopy projects southward to provide shade in the summer and allow the sun to warm the shelter in the winter. The wave-like design was influenced by the surrounding rolling hills of the Finger Lakes as well as the dynamic motion of transit. The aesthetic contributes to the existing context of eclectic architecture and eclectic culture that this college town resonates.

 

The shelter's transparency provides visibility, safety and natural light. The architecture gives opportunity to a variety of waiting options, inside and outside, that encourage users to re-position themselves and adjust to changing weather conditions.