Penn Station - Past, Present, Future
Photo credit: MTA
“We will probably be judged not by the monuments we build, but by those we have destroyed.”
— ADA LOUISE HUXTABLE, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Years ago, I commuted to work every day on the Long Island Railroad into Penn Station. The station was a dim, hot, low-ceilinged warren of confusing underground passages, decaying and in dire need of renovation!
As an architect and a life-long New Yorker, I often wondered how the busiest transportation hub in the western hemisphere, which accommodates more than 650,000 travelers daily, became such an inhospitable space. It seemed particularly tragic given that one of the grandest trains stations ever built once stood on the very same site.
Past
Opened in 1910, Pennsylvania Station was the terminus of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in Manhattan. The PRR was the largest railroad operation in the world at the time, with more than 10,000 miles of track. With the completion of the Hudson and East River tunnels between 1904 and 1910, the rail network was able to enter Manhattan, which necessitated the construction of a station to accommodate it. Designed by McKim, Mead & White in the Beaux-Arts style, Penn Station occupied two full city blocks and was the largest indoor space in NYC at the time and one of the largest public spaces in the world. In 1935, the station served over a billion passengers.
Penn Station Aerial View, 1910
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Photo credit: Library of Congress
By the mid-20th century, transportation options increased with the construction of the interstate highway system and the rise of air travel. Intercity rail passenger volume decreased precipitously, and the fortunes of the Pennsylvania Railroad with it. The station was not adequately maintained and became shabby looking. With the loss of revenue, the railroad relied more on its real estate holdings to post a profit and ended up selling Penn Station’s air rights. The Madison Square Garden Corporation secured those rights and in 1960 began plans to construct a sports arena over Penn Station. Outrage over the demolition of Penn Station in 1963, only 53 years after opening, catalyzed the historic preservation movement which culminated in the creation of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1965.
“The demolition of the original Penn Station is the greatest civic crime in New York History.”
— SENATOR DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN
Present
The 1914 McKim, Mead & White-designed Farley Building across from Penn Station was built for the Postal Service and designed to harmonize with the station. The Neo-Classical building features one of the largest Corinthian column colonnades in the world. (The LPC designated the building as one of the city’s first protected landmarks in 1966.)
In the 1990’s, the idea of repurposing the Farley Building to act as a new gateway to the city was proposed by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. After more than a decade of negotiations between NYC, NYS, the Federal Government, Amtrak, and the USPS, construction of the 255,000-square-foot rail hub began in 2010 and continued through several phases until the Moynihan Train Hall finally opened in 2021. Although not as grand in scale as the first Penn Station, it is a fitting tribute to the original sky-lit train shed.
James Farley Post Office
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Moynihan Train Hall
Photo credit: Marc Gordon
“It is the first step toward turning the busiest rail center in the US into the best rail center in the US. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re moving in the right direction toward a recognition that great public spaces belong to everyone — that a great city deserves a noble public realm, and that the government has a responsibility to make that happen.”
— PAUL GOLDBERGER, ARCHITECTURE CRITIC, NEW YORK TIMES
Future
The last several years has brought a beehive of activity to Penn Station area that is just now starting to bear fruit. The relocation of Amtrak’s operation to the Farley Building provides the opportunity to redevelop Penn Station to improve circulation, create new entrances, and enhance amenities.
Governor Hochul recently announced a plan for the development of ten new towers with 18 million square feet of construction around the Penn Station area that would partially fund a $7-billion-dollar renovation. It would be one of the largest real estate developments in US history. The plan has been widely criticized for lack of transparency, its vast scale, and the estimated $1.2 billion in tax breaks for developers. Proponents argue that the project is critical to making Penn Station a seamlessly integrated intercity transit hub.
While nothing can replace what has been lost, the renovation of Penn Station has been a long time coming and is a welcome step in the right direction.
Penn Station Proposed
Rendering by FXCollaborative/ Bezier/ VUW
Penn Station Proposed
Rendering by FXCollaborative/ Bezier/ VUW
Penn Station Proposed
Rendering by FXCollaborative/ Bezier/ VUW
"The transformation of Penn Station into a world-class, commuter-focused transportation facility befitting the central hub of the greatest city in the world cannot come soon enough."
— GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL
PARTNER
Marc Gordon, AIA
Partner Marc Gordon brings over 30 years of experience to his designs and has been dedicated to Spacesmith’s practice for over 20 years. Marc oversees a diverse cross section of work from conception to completion, including ground-up architecture, workplace interiors, non-profit, education, and retail projects.