First Stop on the Road Trip - The Empire State Plaza: Team Saratoga × McLaren Engineering

If you’ve ever driven past the Empire State Plaza and spotted the Egg, you understand its importance to the Capital Region. It’s Bold, a little unexpected, and uniquely represents Albany. It’s the kind of landmark you don’t forget. And this year, it’s inspiring something just as memorable on our AmeriCAN Road Trip! 

For the first time, Saratoga Associates x McLaren Engineering Group have teamed up to take on the challenge, reimagining the Empire State Plaza as 1,800 cans. For a crew of architects, landscape architects, and engineers, it’s the ultimate crossover between design, structural innovation, and local pride.

It’s a fresh take on a familiar place. The Plaza isn’t just a curved concrete auditorium building, it’s a symbol of civic identity and of people coming together. And in this case, it becomes something even more powerful: a way to give back and nourish the very community it represents.

So the next time you think about “The Egg,” maybe it’s not just a landmark on your road trip, it’s a reminder that many families across the Capital Region face uncertainty about their next meal and we’re all in a position to build a better future and make an impact on our local communities.