Sign posted as old Penn Station demolition begins, New York City, 1963:

“One entered the city like a god. One scuttles in now like a rat.”

by JOHN MASSENGALE posted on OCTOBER 29, 2014



That’s the famous quote by the immortal Vincent Scully about Penn Station, where demolition started fifty-one years ago today. But stay tuned—some interesting things are starting to happen, and they’re not the things you’ve been reading about.

More photos here and here.

Vincent Scully


Scully in 1979

Born: August 21, 1920; New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Died: November 30, 2017 (aged 97); Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
Education: Yale University (BA, MA, PhD)
Occupation: Art historian
Employer(s): Yale University, University of Miami
Known for: Architectural teacher

Vincent Joseph Scully Jr. (August 21, 1920 – November 30, 2017) was an American art historian who was a Sterling Professor of the History of Art in Architecture at Yale University, and the author of several books on the subject. Architect Philip Johnson once described Scully as "the most influential architectural teacher ever." His lectures at Yale were known to attract casual visitors and packed houses, and regularly received standing ovations. He was also the distinguished visiting professor in architecture at the University of Miami.

Early life and education

Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, and attended Hillhouse High School. At the age of 16, he entered Yale University, where he earned his B.A. in 1940, his M.A. in 1947, and his PhD in 1949. At Yale, he was a member of the Elizabethan Club and a member of Jonathan Edwards College.

Career

He taught classes at Yale from 1947, often to packed lecture rooms. He was also a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Miami. Scully officially retired from Yale in 1991, but continued giving courses there and at the University of Miami. He announced in 2009, however, at the age of 89, that he was no longer well enough to continue teaching.

Scully's early advocacy was critical to the emergence of both Louis I. Kahn and Robert Venturi as important 20th-century architects. Scully was a fierce critic of the 1963 destruction of New York's original Pennsylvania Station, memorably writing of it that, "One entered the city like a god. One scuttles in now like a rat." Scully was involved in the preservation of Olana, Frederic Church's home in upstate New York, publishing an article on its significance and endangerment in the May 1965 issue of Progressive Architecture.

In 1983, Lorna Pegram produced and directed two films presented by Scully. The films were for the Met and WNET and based around art at the Met.

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Demolition of the old Penn Station, New York City, began this week 1963:

“One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.”

Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963)

Coordinates: 40.7503°N 73.9931°W

Pennsylvania Station

View from the northeast in the 1910s

General information
Location: New York City
Coordinates: 40.7503°N 73.9931°W
Owned by: Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central
Construction
Architect: McKim, Mead, and White
Architectural style: Beaux-Arts
Other information
Status: Demolished (above ground)
History
Opened: September 8, 1910 (LIRR); November 27, 1910 (PRR)
Key dates
Construction: 1904–1910
Demolition: 1963–1966
Reopened: 1968 (as Penn Station)

Pennsylvania Station (often abbreviated to Penn Station) was a historic railroad station in New York City that was built for, named after, and originally occupied by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). The station occupied an 8-acre (3.2 ha) plot bounded by Seventh and Eighth Avenues and 31st and 33rd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. As the station shared its name with several stations in other cities, it was sometimes called New York Pennsylvania Station. Originally completed in 1910, the aboveground portions of the building were demolished between 1963 and 1966, and the underground concourses and platforms were heavily renovated to form the current Pennsylvania Station within the same footprint.

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History

Approved plans


The Corinthian columns of New York Penn Station's Main Waiting Room

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Operation

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Demolition


Seen in 1962

The Pennsylvania Railroad optioned the air rights of New York Penn Station to real estate developer William Zeckendorf in 1954. He had previously suggested that the two-block site of the main building could be used for a "world trade center". The option allowed for the demolition of the main building and train shed, which could be replaced by an office and sports complex. The station's underground platforms and tracks would not be modified, but the station's mezzanines would be reconfigured. A blueprint for a "Palace of Progress" was released in 1955 but was not acted upon.

Plans for the new Madison Square Garden above Penn Station were announced in 1962 by Irving Mitchell Felt, the president of Graham-Paige, the company that purchased the air rights to Penn Station. In exchange for the air rights, the Pennsylvania Railroad would get a brand-new, air-conditioned, smaller station completely below street level at no cost, and a 25 percent stake in the new Madison Square Garden Complex. A 28-story hotel and 34-story office building, now part of Penn Plaza, would be built on the eastern side of the block, facing Seventh Avenue. The arena proper would take up most of the block, facing Eighth Avenue to the west. At the time, one argument made in favor of the old Penn Station's demolition was that the cost of maintaining the structure had become prohibitive. Its grand scale made the PRR devote a "fortune" to its upkeep, and the head house's exterior had become somewhat grimy. Those who opposed demolition considered whether it made sense to preserve a building, intended to be a cost-effective and functional piece of the city's infrastructure, simply as a monument to the past. As a New York Times editorial critical of the demolition noted at the time, "any city gets what it wants, is willing to pay for, and ultimately deserves."

The architectural community in general was surprised by the announcement of the head house's demolition. Modern architects rushed to save the ornate building, although it was contrary to their own styles. They called the station a treasure and chanted "Don't Amputate – Renovate" at rallies. Despite the controversy generated over the demolition, Felt stated that he "believed that the gain from the new buildings and sports center would more than offset any aesthetic loss." He elaborated, "Fifty years from now, when it's time for [Madison Square Garden] to be torn down, there will be a new group of architects who will protest." Despite large public opposition to Penn Station's demolition, the New York City Department of City Planning voted in January 1963 to start demolishing the station that summer. Architects protested against the decision, but to no effect.


The demolition of the station in 1966

Under the leadership of PRR president Stuart T. Saunders (who later headed Penn Central Transportation), demolition of the above-ground station house began on October 28, 1963. A giant steel deck was placed above the tracks and platforms, allowing rail service to continue with only minor disruptions. This was possible because most of the rail infrastructure, including the waiting room, concourses and platforms, was below street level. Around five hundred columns were sunk into the platforms, while passengers were routed around work areas surrounded by plywood. Madison Square Garden and two office towers were built above the extensively renovated concourses and waiting area.

The first girders for Madison Square Garden were placed in late 1965, and, by mid-1966, much of the station had been demolished except for the Seventh Avenue entrance. By late 1966, much of the new station had been built. There were three new entrances: one from 31st Street and Eighth Avenue, another from 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue, and a third from a driveway running mid-block between Seventh and Eighth Avenues from 31st to 33rd Streets. Permanent electronic signs were being erected, shops were being renovated, new escalators were being installed, and platforms that were temporarily closed during renovations had been reopened. Demolition of the old station was completed the same year. A 1968 advertisement depicted architect Charles Luckman's model of the final plan for the Madison Square Garden Center complex.

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AD Classics: Pennsylvania Station / McKim, Mead & White

09:00 - 11 February, 2014