Manhattan's Grand Central Station, which will celebrate its centennial next year, is on the verge of major changes due to Mayor Bloomberg's initiative to increase building heights in the area. Three firms, SOM, WXY and Foster + Partners, have participated in a envisioning project called Grand Central…The Next 100.

The envisioning project is called “Grand Central…The Next 100.” The Municipal Art Society commissioned the creations, asking the firms to create infrastructure that stimulates and interacts with the public realm, connecting the terminal to the street and larger neighborhood.

SOM’s plan may be the most dramatic. It proposes a pair of towers flanking the station, connected by a moveable ring that appears to float over the station.

Find renderings and descriptions from each of the firms here. World Architecture News offers its perspective and more views in this editorial. And Architecture Journal reported on the initial proposals, including comments from the architects.

Meanwhile, Atlantic Cities takes an interesting look at the history of Grand Central Station, which can be found here.