Comments on: Old Penn Station Lives Again In Virtual 3D Model

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:02:07 +0000

Mourn old Penn, but be thankful for what it inspired.

Without the public outcry over its destruciton, GCT would’ve been gone as well, and the preservaiton movement found its genesis in its destruction. Small consolation, but an important martyrdom, in some respects.

By: Josh

Josh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:50:33 +0000

As a kid Mom took me to old Penn Station for a ride out to Long Island. I remember the size and grandeur of a place larger than life. In later years as an architectural draftsman in Salt Lake City I was researching a project and came across Lorraine Diehl’s wonderful book “The Late Great Pennsylvania Station”. When I realized that I was reading the epitaph, the obituary of the place I was moved to tears. Shaken for quite a while. It had made such and indelible and powerful impact on me. Now, as a video game artist I’ve used the the station as the subject for learning the software modeling packages we use in game production. It helps to bring the place back to life for me. A labor of love for sure. Penn Station may be gone but definitely NOT forgotten. I have two images available for anyone’s review at http://www.joshgoodale.com I’ve tried to capture the mystique and grandeur of the concourse. I hope you enjoy them

By: Zoungy

Zoungy — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:00:31 +0000

Hi Jean, the idea is to eventually do a model such as what you describe (interior, glass ceilings, etc.). It takes some know-how and a powerful computer so wish me luck :-). Meantime I’ll be doing some artwork of the station and making prints. I think. If you want to email me about it, try through my blog (just leave a comment somewhere) or click the image above where it says “3D Warehouse” and follow the contact link there. Thanks Jean and everyone for your interest in this post!

By: Jean

Jean — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:35:46 +0000

Great model. Can you please make a 3D model of the interior as well? Of that beautiful waiting room with the vaulted ceiling? And of the skylighted concourse & track level? My mom had told me how she & her friends used to visit Penn Station in 1961-62 to marvel at the vast building, but the demolition teams began tearing it down the year before I was born.

By: Zoungy

Zoungy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:33:17 +0000

Hi Tabitha, thanks for having a look at the model (I made it). You are right that the height is exaggerated, but this was intentional. The project was done for a competition and the building is supposed to have a slightly cartoonish feel to it– the feeling of Penn Station but not a faithful reproduction. If you check my blog (I believe if you click my name, or else click the image and follow the link to the blog) you can see the beginning of an accurate Penn model in the archive. Thanks again!

By: Tabitha.Bos

Tabitha.Bos — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:24:21 +0000

I once was assigned to reproduce several of the McKim, Mead, and White plans into AutoCAD and learned to do my first 3-D modeling in Rhino by replicating some of the interior spaces, so I feel justified in saying that he pulled up some of the walls much too high. Maybe that’s also the perspective from above throwing it off–of course the building was meant to be seen from the ground. But dead on, there is no way it was that misproportioned. Yes, it did have some big blank walls outside of it though.

What’s really cool in there are the STAIRS. If someone does a modeling project, let this be their most important goal. I started modeling the concourse/exit concourse/platform level stairs, and it became clear that back when the space was open, it was a really interesting space. The most important thing to remember about the building’s destruction though is how much it was changed beforehand. A lot of the open stair spaces were filled in, they got that new ticket booth, and a bunch of ugly stands came in everywhere.

By: MILO Minderbinder

MILO Minderbinder — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:29:09 +0000

Great one Zoungy! I hope this model will inspire everyone to start modeling the world and its history; though I think it won’t (too bad). when is the original coming available on the WareHouse?

By: poncho

poncho — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:11:53 +0000

gonna have to disagree with you symeon about penn station being illproportioned and inelegant. sure i never saw it in person only in photos. mckim mead and white were exceptionally skilled architects and this was done when they were the top architecture firm in the nation. its modeled after the baths of caracalla of antiquity and was designed by beaux arts trained architects in a classical language that is all about proportion, scale and order.

By: John. S

John. S — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:49:13 +0000

Ever since I bought the “late Great Pennsylvannia station” my trips on the NJ transit rail have never been the same.

That photograph of the statuary from Penn station tossed alongside the tracks haunts every trip I take through the Meadowlands.

By: symeon

symeon — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:55:26 +0000

What a cool model; bravo to Kligge.

Nevertheless, an attractive model doesn’t change the fact that the original Penn was overly larger, ill-proportioned, and inelegant, like an overfed pig trying to waltz.

Still too bad they tore it down though: even poorly proportioned old buildings are better than the pieces of crap architects have been designing for the last 50 years.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:55:15 +0000

I agree, I would love to explore a full 3d model inside and out.

By: poncho

poncho — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:01:18 +0000

the plans and elevations of penn station are in the mckim mead and white plan book

i’ve always wanted to see a 3d model of the station as accurate as possible with the interiors… a virtual walk thru