The original Penn Station, designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1910, was one of the finest buildings ever constructed. Its vast, travertine-clad main hall was cherished for the breathtaking scale of its Corinthian columns, semicircular Roman windows, and vaulted coffered ceiling. The hall’s majesty made for a striking contrast with the modern train concourse, whose glass vaults were intricately framed by steel arches. The original Penn Station was both a triumphant gateway into the city, and a shared democratic space.
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan called the station's demolition in 1963 the greatest civic crime in New York's history. That wrong is all the worse given the current station, which is ugly, cramped, dark, dangerous, and difficult to navigate. As the historian Vincent Scully said about McKim’s station, “One entered the city like a god. One scuttles in now like a rat.” Building a classical station inspired by the original will undo that wrong.
Building a new Penn Station will not just dramatically improve the experience of travelers and visitors. Ranking with Grand Central Terminal and other great national landmarks, a new Penn Station will have a significant direct economic impact on the Midtown West/Hudson Yards/Upper Highline area.
While the building we propose will rigorously respect our architectural heritage, we seek to improve upon the original station, providing not just a transportation facility but a civic focal point with amenities that will invite the public to visit and linger.
Building a new Penn Station will be an enormous undertaking, but now is the time to return the station to its former grandeur.