Grand Central Terminal Ceiling

Grand Central Terminal in New York has a ceiling painted with the constellations of the zodiac in gold leaf against a teal background. The scale of it makes you stop and look up even when you're rushing to catch a train. Modern transit stations never attempt that kind of gesture. Painted in 1912 and restored in the late 1990s after decades of cigarette smoke had turned it brown, the before-and-after photos of the restoration are striking. So much of the original beauty was hidden under grime. The terminal itself functions as a public square unlike most transportation hubs. The main concourse is open and high-ceilinged, with natural light entering through clerestory windows. People meet under the clock on the information booth because the space is legible enough that you can spot someone from 200 feet away. Compare this to Penn Station, demolished and rebuilt underground with low ceilings and fluorescent lighting. Grand Central demonstrates what happens when a city decides a train station deserves the same architectural ambition as a cathedral. During a layover in November, I spent about 45 minutes just sitting in the main concourse, watching commuters and tourists and people eating at the oyster bar. Rarely does a functional building make you want to linger.