Newark Visitor Center

Concept Design, 2009

In 2009, the City of Newark, NJ hosted an architectural competition for a new visitors center. The brief called for the center to be “a destination spot on its own” and create “a clear identity for the city.” In researching the potential users of the space, we discovered that 34 million people pass through Newark’s airport each year.  However, few travelers, even those with long layovers, spend time exploring Newark, a city with little-known cultural destinations and a deep industrial history. In order to make the visitor’s center an attractive and feasible destination for airport visitors, our design proposal needed to extend beyond the physical space of the visitors center. Developed in the era before Uber or Lyft existed but sensing the same fundamental need, we proposed a partnership with Newark’s Taxi and Limousine Commission to provide efficient transport to and from the site. Visitors could then have an immersive experience in Newark while knowing that they would not miss their connecting flights.

This was also the first project where Nash and Jorey worked together - merging art and analytics through architecture.

Project Size: 50,000sf / 200 users; Our Role: Architect