Penn Station

Here is a lovely, delicate illustration of Penn Station in 1906.


Pennsylvania Station Interior, 1906
Jules Crow
Watercolor, Ink and Graphite on Paper
New-York Historical Society, Mckim, Mead & White Collection

I found the image at the webiste for the New York Historical Society, in an article titled: McKim, Mead & White’s Glorious Old Penn Station Turns 103. The New York Historical Society is on Central Park West, on 77th Street, a grand and beautiful location.

The original Penn Station (now demolished) was designed and built by McKim, Mead & White, who also built the Morgan Library, which I've visited and written about here.

The original architects for the New York Historical Society's building are York and Sawyer. According to Wikipedia:

The partners Edward York (1863–1928) and Philip Sawyer (1868–1949) had both trained in the office of McKim, Mead, and White. In 1898, they established their independent firm, based in New York City.

The building was later extended in 1938 by Walker & Gillette. And it went further renovations and extensions, by a third team of architects - Platt Byard Dovell White - which were completed in 2011.

Platt Byard Dovell White Architects make post-modern, ugly buildings, dominated by glass, so I was worried what they could have done to the Beaux-Arts and Roman Eclectic architectural styles of the New York Historical Society. Fortunately, they mostly "renovated" the building rather than restructure it.

Here is the list of renovations they made, none affecting the aesthetic structure of the building:

On the basis of a Master Plan developed early in the process, we reconfigured the following areas:

Entrances & Façade Improvements:
The building was made more visible, more inviting, and more accessible by reconfiguring the entrances on Central Park West and 77th Street and adding doors, ramps, and generous front steps as well as enlarged windows, new signage, and colorful exterior lighting. Exterior changes to the designated landmark required approval of the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Gallery Improvements:
The ground floor, formerly a warren of cloakroom spaces, has been transformed into a single gallery that puts the most popular elements of the collection next to the front door. We upgraded other galleries in a similar fashion with new wall and ceiling finishes, lighting, and climate control.

Auditorium:
Halfway through construction the Society asked us to renovate their neoclassical auditorium into a space that would support a variety of media productions and live performances. We completely reconfigured the plan and added a balcony to bring the capacity to 418, with excellent sight lines from every seat. New finishes, new lighting, and an 80’ wide screen make the auditorium the setting for a dazzling 18-minute introductory video and the centerpiece of a robust slate of public programs.

I had the NYHS on my list to visit during my last trip to the city. I didn't make it. It is a priority on my list for my next visit, especially as a place I can photograph as an illustrative image for my book.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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