Grand Central: Gateway to a Million Lives - Hardcover

Belle, John; Leighton, Maxinne R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393047652 ISBN 13: 9780393047653

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999

Synopsis

This is the story of Grand Central Terminal in New York City, a remarkable and beautiful building whose birth, survival, and restoration reflect the critical role architecture plays in the expansion of our cities.

It begins with the historic struggle to save Grand Central in the wake of the destruction of Penn Station and in the face of economic forces in the real estate industry that were intent on its demise. There follows a chronological history of the previous two stations on the site, the construction of the present building, text and photographs providing a fascinating first-hand account of the $400 million restoration, and the grand and anecdotal stories that involve the great building. 50 color & 100 b/w illustrations

About this title

About the Author

John Belle is founding partner of Beyer Blinder Belle and principal architect of the Grand Central restoration. He lives in New York City.

Maxinne R. Leighton is currently with Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. She is the author of An Ellis Island Christmas.

From Library Journal

New York City's Grand Central Terminal is among those iconic structures that symbolize, if not a nation, then a national spirit. This book recounts the dramatic story of the terminal with a cast that includes the Vanderbilt dynasty, Jimmy Durante, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Architects Belle and Leighton, whose firm supervised the spectacularly successful restoration of Grand Central, provide an insider's perspective on the effort to rescue the once-endangered terminal. Unfortunately, perhaps in an effort to reach a wide audience, the text is weighted toward economic aspects, cultural significance, and lore; design and architecture are given cursory treatment. Even so, this is an engaging account of the rise and decline of mass transport in this century. For large public and academic libraries, and collections with concentrations in urban planning, transportation, and historic preservation.
-David Soltesz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0393047652
• ISBN 13: 9780393047653
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240