The demolition of Penn Station in New York in 1963 was the direct cause of the creation of New York’s list of historic buildings. The vast station, with its imposing colonnade and equally impressive marble halls, was replaced by the massive cylinder of Madison Square Garden (MSG). For years, organisations had been campaigning to restore the city’s lost icon, but it was not until 2026 that a reconstruction plan was approved which reconciled the interests of all parties. Although the new station bears little resemblance to the original, its new modernist and Art Deco design looks fantastic.
The return of an icon
Although the above-ground station did indeed disappear in the 1960s, with a cylindrical arena being built in its place, trains still run underground. Penn Station has gone underground and is now the busiest station in the US. The problem is that both MSG and the current Penn Station are in poor condition and look unsightly. The station’s dark, unattractive interiors make travelling from this station an unpleasant necessity. What’s more, the existing structures don’t even come close to the splendour of the original 1910 building. Before reading on, it’s worth familiarising yourself with the detailed history of the demolished station, which you can read about HERE.
For decades, various organisations campaigning for the restoration of American heritage sites have proposed rebuilding the wrongfully demolished Beaux-Arts masterpiece. However, neither the owner, MSG, nor Amtrak were interested in such ideas. Everything changed with a pragmatic design by the New York-based studio Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), which proposed a compromise for all parties involved in the dispute. MSG is to remain in place, the above-ground station will be recreated, its design will draw on the style of the 1930s, and on top of all this, the new building will be modern and functional for everyone.
PAU’s design has been approved by all parties, including Sean P. Duffy, Secretary of Transport in Donald Trump’s administration. The US President will take personal patronage of the project, and the station’s appearance is to be guided by the ‘Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again’ Act, which comes into force in 2025. The presidential decree stipulates that new federal buildings must be designed in traditional styles (i.e. neither brutalist nor postmodernist).
The glory days
The grey façade of the MSG will be transformed into a light-coloured ribbed wall. The building will retain its cylindrical shape, and an impressive station will be built at its base. The new glazed façade will feature massive columns, large glazed sections, bronze reliefs and decorative details. It is worth noting that the design includes ample space for large openings to flood the station concourse with light, as well as landscaped terraces. The monumental façade is intended to evoke the golden age of New York architecture, including the Beaux-Arts period and the subsequent Art Deco era. Behind the stone porticoes lies a vestibule named after the architect of the original station – Charles Follen McKim.
The ceiling of the main station hall will soar to a height of 15 metres, and grand staircases with bronze handrails will lead up to the platforms. At last, after decades of waiting, plenty of light will flood into the station hall. Inside, new lifts and staircases will be installed, and all the narrow corridors will be widened. Penn Station will bid farewell once and for all to its dark, claustrophobic rooms and corridors.
It is also worth paying attention to the interior details. Above the concourse, a wide relief depicting a panorama of the city, modelled on sculptures from the 1930s, will be installed. Meanwhile, a large golden clock is reminiscent of Art Deco designs. The design will also feature large bronze eagles and terracotta decorations salvaged from the demolition of the original station. The building’s lead architect, Vishaan Chakrabarti, believes that the design combines functionality, grandeur and an attempt to rectify past mistakes.
There has also been no shortage of voices of disappointment online. According to critics, failing to recreate the station’s original structure is a mistake, and PAU’s proposal is lacklustre. It should be borne in mind, however, that the dispute between Amtrak, state and federal governments, and the owner, MSG, has been dragging on for decades, and PAU’s design is the first balanced proposal in this complex matter. The architects have not settled on a single, obvious style. The building’s appearance is a blend of nostalgia for the Beaux-Arts, Art Deco and the Federal style of the Great Depression era.
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D.J. Trump’s Penn Station?
The cost of the redevelopment is expected to reach as much as $8 billion. By way of comparison, the world’s most expensive railway station, also located in Manhattan, cost around $4 billion. It is worth noting, however, that the redevelopment of Penn Station involves more than just changing the façade. The project entails extensive demolition work and the construction of a new building and infrastructure in the city centre. Furthermore, thanks to the increased usable floor space, the station’s capacity is set to rise by 165 per cent. The redevelopment of Penn Station is one of the most long-awaited projects in the United States. It should be noted that the developer of the project is the Penn Transformation Partners consortium, comprising Halmar and Skanska.
However, for some, reports of a proposal submitted by Donald Trump’s administration to Congress regarding a change to the station’s name may be cause for concern. Although there is no official confirmation as to what name is being considered, the American media are openly suggesting that it is Donald Trump himself who would be named after the station. It must also be said that, compared to the current administration’s architectural ‘feats’ to date (such as the enormous, disproportionate ballroom in the White House), the Penn Station project looks excellent.
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