Pennsylvania Station | USA

[GVNY]

The legendary Pennsylvania Station


























Now a building of legend, Pennsylvania station was the grandest, greatest and largest railroad station ever built and designed by the most prestigious architectural firm of the early 20th century, McKim, Mead and White. The intense and elegant shadow play of the gigantic station penetrated hearts from all over the world in its 50 odd years in existence. Changes were made here and their toward the ends of its days, but the sense that some of the most important moments in many people's lives were played out here hung it its air. It was that very special something that a place becomes when wives say good bye to husbands going off to war, when a ticket in your hand means the start of a new life in another town, another country, maybe even another time-as place and history become one. World War I, World War II, the Great Depression, the Roaring Twenties- all the flappers, and soldiers and gangsters and families and sailors, secretaries, shysters, congressmen and women, farmers, cops, poets and dishwashers-the billions who would pass through this place would leave part of their lives here- even if just an echo or a feeling. It was a place designed for the upliftment of one and all, and to underscore the greatness of the Pennsylvania Railroad; It was almost anything you wanted it to be. It was Pennsylvania Station. -Timothy Jacobs

[European1978]

Lovely Station ! 10/10

[Javic222]

If you like this you will love the station in Washington, just a block from the US Capital

[Phobos]

Great railway terminal,It's a pity they destroyed it...
10/10

[GreatSky]

Beautiful. Anyone who voted less than 9 is an ignorant fool with no eye for architecture. 10

[Balsen]

Amazing building!!!! 10/10

[Gambini]

Grand... 10/10

Btw, on those old pictures it looks like Pennsylvania is pretty big, what does it look like nowadays?

[GreatSky]

Penn Station today:

[FerrariEnzo]

Quote:Btw, on those old pictures it looks like Pennsylvania is pretty big, what does it look like nowadays

They knocked it down and put MSG on top of it. Now an ugly platform is under MSG as seen above.

[GVNY]

All the people who voted lower than 9 are skanks.

[nick_taylor]

Right............why bother putting a poll up if people aren't allowed their own opinion. Frankly I find it funny that it was destroyed - its not as nice as St Pancras, but nicer than GC....but either way its platforms were submerged below ground and some of the exact same styles are seen in elsewhere in other stations. The new one won't be as good as is trying to do something which just won't work - 8 (and by god don't allow those people who think "trainsheds and stuff to vote" - cause this station has a half attempt at one and that'll make em go crazy )

[GVNY]

First of all Nick, you are wrong on all of your "points" made.

Not as nice as St. Pancras? Sure.
Tracks submerged? Take a good look at this:

The tracks were submerged only a few years before the razing.

And about what I said earlier, that is why I posted this thread for people to share their opinions. But when people vote a 3, you know damn well this isn't posting your opinions but trying to lower the score of this celebrated building. It is like a 3 or below for your beloved St. Pancras. Unacceptable.

[nick_taylor]

Yes - but the platforms are still submerged below the ground - they go down, not along to the platforms!!!!! The new one I doubt will be able to recreate the old one though.

[GVNY]

They are below ground, as that photo shows, but the tracks are not submerged. The are open to the air, the inspirational glass work above.

[nick_taylor]

But they are not level platforms - they are submerged into the ground - just answer my question: are they on level with the waiting areas????? No - they are not, you have to walk down a flight of stairs to get to the platform before making your way to which carriage you want which is under the upper levels!!!!!!

[GVNY]

That's why you don't like the station? Because you have to walk down a flight of stairs to the tracks?

And submerged is definitely the wrong word for this case. It wasn't covered, made obscured, or made subordinate by any means.

Oh goodness. It had to be lower than street level, Nick! If it was level with the street, the tracks would waiste precious space, which is a no no, or, it would have very stiff railway grades from the tunnels. If you have to knock a wonderful station because of a few steps or an elevator ride to a platform 10 feet below, I have nothing to say to you.

Oh, and by the way, the platforms are in the concorse, a totally separate room next to the waiting area. And the waiting area and concourse are on different levels, as they are separated by a few stairs. But just a few.

[nick_taylor]

But its meant to be a gradual flow into the station and on to the train without being impeded.....London Liverpool Street shares the same architecture of the roof of Penn (over the platforms) and manages to create a awesome light space where you can walk straight on to your train. The Concourse and platforms at Liverool Street are on the same level and as soon as the trains leave the station shed, they enter a tunnel which goes under a few tall buildings and a busy throughfare before coming out on a viaduct to exit the city!!!! Not like its impossible and in my honest opinion a train station should have platforms that are in essence a part of the station, not a troglyditic feature....

[GVNY]

Yeah, well you win some and you lose some. And with the amount of stairs and elevators to the platforms, only a small amount of interruption was present, I assume. But you must realize, the Hudson and East River Tunnels go over 100 some odd feet into the ground under the rivers, and Manhattan Island is only a few miles wide. The gradient would be very, stiff, 6% above to get to level platforms, which are essential. It would be an impossibility.

[nick_taylor]

Yes exactly GVNY - thats why its not a perfect station in my opinion

Nothing is impossible - it would have been possible to create a curved tunnel (just like you have when you leave Liverpool Street - you end up at a right angle from the station on to a viaduct). Having the platforms higher or the entire station lower was a possibility - but instead both were split. Having the platforms some 2 stories higher isn't exactly a engineering problem - it was simply because the whole idea was to hide the trains and tracks from public view!! In my opinion that was a missed opportunity.

Don't get me wrong - it was an architectural crime that this station was destroyed - it reminds me of Euston Station which had a massive Triumphal Arch at its entrance...... it was smashed up - and instead of having MSG like Penn has on top - it has a Postal Office slapped bang on top - its interior looks identical to Penn and hopefully in the near future it will be redeveloped just like the current Penn is facing!

[Zenith]

Absolutley, many stations in Britain were also vandalised and destroyed for no reason. Birmingham Uk's stations were totally destroyed including the exteriors because of 60's idiots.

I feel sorry for you, Pennsylvania station was amazing, but its interior was disgustingly ruined.

London still has the greatest collection of stations in the world however,GCT hall is fantastic, the train concourse is awful.