The Impressive New Face of Penn Station, New York's “Cinderella” Terminal, Unveiled | The State
Modern entrance on 7th Av
Photo:
Andrés Correa Guatarasma / Courtesy
Penn NYC, the busiest train station in the Western Hemisphere, was the victim of years of disrepair and neglect. But at the close of troubled 2020, it was finally able to show a renewed face in some of its areas.
The interior of the new Penn Station train hall, integrated into the historic Farley Post Office Building at 8 Av, across from Madison Square Garden, was unveiled during a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday and opened to the public on January 1.
“Moynihan Train Hall” features a waiting area with a skylight that is 255 thousand square feet and 92 feet high. After an investment of $ 1.6 billion dollars will serve as a hub for Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), along with 700,000 square feet of commercial and dining space, authorities detailed.
Inside, travelers have access to the huge open room, with escalator connections to the train platforms and the classic 7th Avenue area, which is still undergoing renovation.
The new one great atmosphere with “sky roof” it offers a stark contrast to the dimly lit cavernous underground tunnels that Governor Andrew Cuomo once compared to Dante’s “Inferno.”
“We build this as a statement of who we are and who we think we are and who we aspire to be,” Cuomo said as the salon opened Wednesday. “Is it bold, yes, because that’s the spirit of New York and that’s the statement we want to make to our visitors, our children and future generations ”.
In addition to its skylight, the Moynihan Room features installations by artists Kehinde Wiley, Stan Douglas, and Elmgreen & Dragset. “Wiley’s piece is a trio of stained glass images showing breakdancing against a blue sky background, while the artistic duo Elmgreen & Dragset contributed a model of an upside-down skyscraper hanging from the ceiling,” he described. New York Post.
Penn Station was built in the 1960s after the much-maligned destruction of its predecessor Beaux-Arts building. The new space is named after the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who in the 1990s came up with the idea of repurposing the post office building for public transportation.
Before the pandemic, Penn Station served an average of 600,000 passengers on business days, according The New York Times.
“There has been talk about the Penn Station transformation for decades, but no one managed to do anything, so last year we announced a plan to address obsolete, inefficient and potentially dangerous station conditions ”, Governor Cuomo said in 2019.
A historic day in our city.
With the opening of Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station and the new East End Gateway at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street, @LIRR customers are finally getting world-class facilities befitting the greatest city in the world.
@NYGovCuomo got it done. pic.twitter.com/OWlvKtQDKz– MTA. Wear a Mask. Stop the Spread. (@MTA) December 30, 2020
New York’s new #moynihantrainhall brings art (including #photography) to Penn Station via The @PublicArtFund – a great organization to get to know if you’re interested in commission opportunities https://t.co/RJ3vfPFqyL via @nytimes #NYC
– APA New York (@apanewyork) January 1, 2021
The sky is the limit for new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station https://t.co/P1cRkGfUhw pic.twitter.com/3WgK2CNIYC
– New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) December 31, 2020
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