An Architectural Portrait of The Oculus in New York City

by Jennifer Skopp

Jennifer Skopp was commissioned to create this architectural illustration by the wife of a structural engineer who was throwing a 65th birthday party for her husband. He had worked on the NYC Oculus project.

The Oculus is a large train station in downtown Manhattan, with two levels of stores inside. It’s a very unusual building that reminds Jennifer of a giant white bird or a skeleton of a bird or flying dinosaur. The wings are outstretched.

Since the image would appear relatively small on the invitation, Jennifer painted the details on the Oculus, which is in the forefront, but simplified the buildings in the background. She chose a limited palette of blues and purples. The skyscrapers in the background lean towards the center. There are a couple of cumulus clouds behind the skyscraper and the whole image forms an irregular shape.