Old Penn (Pennsylvania) Station Tunnel Excavation 1905

Photographed July 19, 1905.
American Mutoscope and Biograph Co.
Location: Seventh and Eighth Avenues, New York, N.Y.
Camera: G.W. "Billy" Bitzer

New York Times 02/09/12: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/arts/design/a-proposal-for-penn-station-and...

This slow 180-degree panoramic sweep of the excavation of the Pennsylvania Station tunnels provides a rare and unique glimpse of the scope of the work, including a view of the narrow-gauge work train. The ambitious project was begun in 1904, it was designed by McKim, Mead, and White and completed in September of 1910. The station would span from 31st to 33rd Streets, between 7th and 8th Avenues, an area of approximately 300,000 square feet connecting a massive rail tunnel system, bringing the Pennsylvania and Lehigh Railroads under the Hudson River and the Long Island Railroad under the East River to a terminal in the center of Manhattan, accommodating a network of twenty-seven tracks. The original structure and design had a utilitarian and aesthetic grandeur that no municipal transportation project has come close to matching since. The original Pennsylvania Station was an outstanding masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style and one of the architectural jewels of New York City. The station's air rights were optioned in the 50's. The option was executed soon after. The option called for the demolition of the head-house and train shed, to be replaced by an office complex and a new sports complex. The tracks of the station, which were located well below street level, would remain untouched. Demolition began in October 1963. The Pennsylvania Plaza complex, including the fourth and current Madison Square Garden, was completed in 1968.

Pennsylvania Station (1910-1963) was one of New York's greatest architectural accomplishments and one of its saddest municipal tragedies. The strength and virtue of its epic architectural design reflected the embracing spirit of New York City perfectly. The calculated destruction of this beautiful aesthetic marvel was served up not by civil engineers with an eye toward an upward urban vision, but a cheap transitory interest in the states authority. To arrive in New York City through Penn Station today is to be greeted by oppressive conduits of sickly unadorned sixties-seventies utilitarian aesthetic based on 'get 'em out as quickly as possible.' The death of architectural greatness became an institutionalized program of ''progress'' with the demise of Pennsylvania Station. Throughout almost its entire history and to this day, the Port Authority of New York has a near perfect and consistent record of bad planning, tasteless ''design,'' financial deficits and opaque cronyism.

Architecture almost always naturally reflects cultural values, intended or not. The Port Authority discarded majestic granite sculptures of proud eagles and a boldly designed sun lit interior for cheap prefabricated bathroom quality mosaics made of sand. Aesthetics speak volumes.

"We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." -Winston Churchill

Recommended reading:
AIA Guide to New York City / The Classic Guide to New York's Architecture - Norval White & Elliot Willensky
Empire City / The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape - David M. Scobey
The Unfinished City / New York and the Metropolitan Idea
- Thomas Bender
Old Penn Station - William Low

01/03/12 - 6,565

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• newyorkcity
• new york city
• nycny
• nyc
• ny
• temple vs. outhouse
• manhattan
• pennsylvania
• penn station
• tube
• metro
• subway
• lirr
• mta
• path
• port authority
• madison square garden
• msg
• knickerbockers
• knicks
• rangers
• excavation
• construction
• mckim mead white
• architect
• architecture
• kinetoscope
• actuality
• actualities
• 1905
• g.w. billy bitzer
• camera

[NYBOY75]

Great video!!

[Lapp6192]

Wow !  This is incredible. I didn't even know that video of this excavation existed. Thanks for putting it on YouTube.

[humbertabe]

Manhattan shist yo