Design Details at the Newly Opened Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station
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While most of the NYC’s public transportation has been suffering from cramped stations and overcrowded spaces, a new expansion of the Penn station is a breath of fresh air. Impeccably designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architecture firm, the new space was embedded into the building of New York City’s former post office on 8th Avenue. The hall is named for Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the U.S. Senator who had originally championed the plan.
The new Moynihan Train Hall occupies part of the James A. Farley Building, a Beaux-Arts structure designed by McKim, Mead & White alongside the original Penn Station, and opened in 1914 as New York City’s main post office. The other half of the building is currently occupied by FacebookA well-designed overview of the station located by the entrance and detailing the connection between the new train hall and the existing Penn StationThe navigation systems throughout the station are perfectly typeset in DIN typeface creating a feeling that you’re somewhere in Hamburg or Amsterdam.One of the permanent art installations at the new station, named “The Hive” by Elmgreen & Dragset, a duo from Berlin features an impressive 3-dimensional ceiling model of a large metropolis, lit softly from the insideMaterials used include stainless steel, aluminum, polycarbonate, LED lights, and lacquer
The main hall looks airy, inviting and starkly minimalistic, with 17 platform entrances spaced out in a gridThe main clock, a loving homage to Art Deco architectural style and the golden age of travelA close-up of a matte stone tile used for wall surfaces in the main roomA glass enclosure around the escalator leading down to the platformAll rails at the station feature built-in lighting to help navigate in low lightTicketed waiting areas feature chic walnut-covered interiorsOn the outside of the former post office building, little says what awaits inside, with hints seen through the windows
