A new series of renderings has been released for PENN15, a proposed commercial supertall skyscraper at 15 Penn Plaza in Midtown, Manhattan. Designed by Foster + Partners and developed by Vornado Realty Trust, the project’s scope was recently reduced from 56 to 50 stories and 1,200 feet to 1,000 feet, and will now yield 2.2 million square feet of office space, down from 2.7 million. The property is located along Seventh Avenue between West 32nd and 33rd Streets, directly across from Penn Station.

The new renderings show the scaled back design retaining the same general architectural language as the most recent iteration of the project, which is planned to stand as the centerpiece of the 7.4-million-square-foot Penn District master plan. The building will be composed of a stack of rectangular volumes, each topped with expansive landscaped terraces, and will be largely clad in glass. The building is shown culminating in a bulkhead that can be illuminated at night.

The base has also been revised and will feature two large wraparound LED screens on the north- and southwestern corners, flanking the main entrance to the building on Seventh Avenue. The three-story podium will be surrounded by a new landscaped public plaza, and topped with a rooftop terrace populated by trees and other greenery. Several diagonal columns were omitted from the new renderings to show a much cleaner and sleeker appearance.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

The lobby will be housed within a tall atrium complete with trees and a large staircase with seating.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

A floor plan indicates three entrances into the main lobby, while the porte cochere and loading docks are situated on the easternmost edge of the base.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

The below interior renderings preview additional office amenity spaces on the upper floors, which will include an auditorium, bar, and cafe.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

The final renderings highlight the outdoor terraces that would be lined with glass railings and populated by tall trees and lounge seating.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

The following diagram shows the elevator arrangement and the various rentable square footage figures across each section of the tower.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

PENN15 would also have two cellar levels for a parking garage, a loading dock, and for access to the 34th Street-Penn Station subway station, which serves the 1, 2, and 3 trains, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak lines, and further underground connection to the rest of Penn Station to the west.

PENN15. Designed by Foster + Partners.

Demolition concluded on the Hotel Pennsylvania last year, but no further progress has unfolded at the site. Vornado presented proposals earlier this year for “Penn Platform,” an pop-up revenue generator for the property that would involve covering the site with tennis and basketball courts, as well as the addition of a 150-foot-tall screen for advertisements and game replays. No action has been taken so far on this proposal.

A start and completion date for PENN15 remains to be announced.

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