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

The National Civic Art Society is spearheading an effort in New York City to build a new classical Pennsylvania Station inspired by the original by McKim, Mead & White. Completed in 1910 and demolished in 1963, the station was one of the greatest buildings in American history. 

The depot's 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.

The station’s demolition is widely regarded as the greatest single catastrophe in American architectural history. That wrong is all the worse given the current station, which is a cramped, dismal, and dehumanizing warren.

We aim to right that wrong by building a new classical station that matches the original’s glory.

As seen in the media and videos below, NCAS originally called for literally reconstructing McKim’s station as it was. We now advocate for building a new classical station inspired by the original.

For more information on the project, which was profiled in the Wall Street Journal, see the dedicated website rebuildpennstation.org.

Video of “The Future of Penn Station” discussion co-hosted by Agora and Rebuild Penn Station: a project of the National Civic Art Society.

In partnership with Rebuild Penn Station: a project of the National Civic Art Society, Agora presented "The Future of Penn Station," an evening addressing various proposals to fix the deplorable station. The event took place on October 24, 2018 at the W83 Ministry Center in New York City. The speakers were Kevin Baker of Harper’s magazine, Dani Simons of the Regional Plan Association, Richard Cameron of Atelier & Co., and Samuel Turvey of ReThinkNYC. Justin Shubow of the National Civic Art Society moderated the panel.

Video of a conversation on Rebuild Penn Station hosted by Chartwell Booksellers. Please note that the audio improves at the 15:00 mark.

On October 4, 2018 in New York City, Chartwell Booksellers hosted a conversation on Rebuild Penn Station. The event featured leaders of Rebuild Penn Station together with ReThinkNYC and Atelier & Co.

In this October 10, 2016 lecture sponsored by the National Civic Art Society, Calder Loth, Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, provided the arguments for rebuilding destroyed historic landmarks, and offered examples from around the world.