MOYNIHAN TRAIN HALL WELCOMES THE WORLD BACK TO NEW YORK CITY By RANDY REID
Walking from the current Penn Station to the new Moynihan Train Hall makes me feel like Dorothy when she awoke in Oz and her life was suddenly in color. The transition to Moynihan Train Hall is staggering. It is bright, welcoming comforting and practically changes your mood as you make your grand entrance. Ilva Dodaj, Senior Associate at Domingo Gonzalez Associates (DGA) provided me a tour of this stunning facility. Ilva was the lead lighting
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designer for DGA on the project and highlighted a bit of history as we toured. She explained, “This was NYC’s primary USPS facility, designed by McKim, Mead & White when it opened in 1914.” She pointed to the massive trusses that were preserved from the original design which contained skylights that were covered during World War II, and explained that the roof was removed and replaced with a vaulted skylight. The 3160 panels, consisting of over an acre of glass, allow natural daylight to enliven the train hall.
Watch a time-lapse video of the skylight installation.