To enhance the passenger experience, the spaces within the new terminal use daylight as a natural wayfinding system. A linear skylight – created by the unfolding roof of the pier – widens toward the central hub and opens up into the atrium where all departing, arriving, and transferring passengers meet. By placing the control tower in its center, the tower is experienced from the inside as a beacon that creates a sense of place, akin to a town square rather than an airport.

BIG was engaged to create symbiosis between old and new &#; in both stylistic and atmospheric terms &#; housing community activities and support rooms, a large hall that has the power to unite, inspire and create space for the parish to come together. BIG&#;s proposal is based on the existing architecture of the church. The geometry is formed as an extension of one of the church’s four wings, with all the new functions placed at ground level.

The Shriver Program providing special education for students aged to occupies two floors of the building accessible from the ground floor, and has specialized spaces dedicated to support APS’ Functional Life Skills program as well as privacy and ease of accessibility; the gymnasium, courtyard, occupational physical therapy suite, and sensory cottage are designed to aid in sensory processing.

The building’s massing is born from the site which follows the existing curve of the road and wraps to create a slender m ribbon-like office space that reflects the dynamic quality of its surroundings. The rooftop acts as a fifth façade and winds down to create a string of linear garden terraces that are connected by a stair at the western edge serving as a secondary means of fire egress and a linear park.

The base of the building utilizes the maximum area of the site, housing TV studios and , sq ft of retail space over multiple levels. The lobby is connected to the WTC transit hub, providing direct access to subway lines and PATH trains. A public plaza at the foot of the building and access to shopping and restaurants in the adjacent transportation hub and concourses will ensure life and activity in and around the new World Trade Center.