The newly redesigned Allentown Transporation Center has been recognized for excellence.
The LANTA and Allentown Parking Authority building was honored by the Urban Land Institute of Philadelphia with its 2023 Award for Excellence in the Open Space category.
The transit plaza, which is located on Church Street in Downtown Allentown, was funded through the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority’s Public Improvement Investment Program.
The 1.64-acre plaza serves as the central hub for LANTA, with 3,000 passenger trips daily. The central configuration of the pavilion allows riders to make bus transfers without leaving the platform; in the previous configuration, they had to walk two blocks to transfer.
One of the highlights of the plaza is its origami-inspired bus shelter pavilion, designed by the project’s landscape architect, Omnes.
It features a green roof that captures stormwater to offset the impermeable pavement below. Because of required clearances and paving for bus circulation, the shelter uses the pavilion as a device for greening the plaza.
According to a press release he structure reduces stormwater runoff with an approximate 7,508-gallon capacity by incorporating a living green roof consisting of more than a dozen species of sedum plants, as well as water collection and drainage along columns.
The design team, which included Omnes, architect Bernardon, and lighting designer Diversified Lighting, worked with transportation authorities to develop signage, audio-visual placement, and LED lighting to illuminate and enhance the function of the transit hub.