New York City is home to a numerous amount of architectural masterpieces. Every street people wander onto gives them a sense of amazement due to all the different architecture they are surrounded by, such as skyscrapers, residential buildings, creative structures, etc. With many architectural structures constantly being created, New York City houses not only new architecture, but also architecture that are over a century old. According to the “Ten Books on Architecture” by Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius, a good building must satisfy three qualities: firmness, functionality, and beauty. Two old architectural structures in New York City that meet these three requirements include the Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library. These buildings have been around for a very long time, but visiting it every time brings with it a sense of awe and admiration for the creation of such magnificent structures. 

 

The land for the Grand Central Terminal was bought by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1869. From here, he started to build what was known then as the Grand Central Depot which was designed by John B. Snook and was opened to the public on 1871. However, a train accident in 1902 caused a change in both Grand Central itself and the use of steam trains. Due to the smoke let out by the trains, the driver could not see in front of him, causing the crash that led to the death of fifteen people. This sparked a want for change to remove steam trains with electric ones. Thus, after ten years of hard work, the joint efforts of architect firms Reed and Stem and Warren and Wetmore, helped to create what is known today as the Grand Central Terminal. This was built to function as a transportation hub for people to get to the subway. In addition, it can also be seen as a place for people to meet up before heading to their destination. The Grand Central Terminal’s design is very attention grabbing, and it felt very overwhelming at first. One can enter or exit through many openings all around the terminal, including the one from the subway. Within the terminal, people are able to move around very easily due to the huge amount of space there is inside the Grand Central Terminal. Even with the amount of people in this area at all times, it never felt very crowded due to the space there was. This large amount of space was created to allow for both speed and efficiency because the terminal does connect to the subway which does get crowded during rush hour. During this time, people are in a rush to either get to work or home, so having a big area allows for more people to move faster at the same time. This building is made out of mostly marble, which helps bring stability and strength to the structure. Not only that, the white color of the marble used also makes people feel a sense of safety and power, as well as a sense of awe from knowing that they are in a building that is influenced by the Greeks and Romans. When one looks at the Grand Central Terminal from the outside, they would notice right away how it stands out from everything else around it since it is the only building that does not have a “modern” look to it. When creating such a structure, the architects used the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, which is a style that incorporates classic Greek and Roman ideas, such as columns, arches, and high vaulted ceilings. The columns and arches were evident when one looks at the Grand Central Terminal from the outside because it contains multiple marble columns along the perimeter of the building, as well as windows shaped into arches. In addition, at the main entrance, there is a pediment right at the top with a clock and the Greek god Hermes, or his Roman form Mercury. Inside, a person would immediately be shocked with the size of the terminal, as well as its high ceilings, and luxurious look. What stood out right away was the opal clock in the center of the terminal, which was hard to miss with its glowing feature. Additionally, the ceiling was shaped like a long arch with a beautiful painting of constellations. Going away from the main part of the terminal, it was noticeable that there were many chandeliers hanging from the ceiling that were in the shape of either a sphere or a cone. The figure of Hermes outside of the terminal can be used to symbolize the function of the terminal, which was to travel, but it can also stand for how Hermes is looking down and guiding people safely to their destination. In addition, the painting of the constellation can also be symbolized as how God views the universe from above. These overall structures can be seen as expressing the values of New York culture because innovation and religion are important to their culture, which was shown throughout this structure.

 

The New York Public Library is another great piece of architecture that was opened in 1911 to the public. Before its creation, Governor Samuel J. Tilden donated 2.4 million dollars for the creation of this public library. For this project, Carrère and Hastings was the firm in charge of being the architects. They were trying to design a building that would be able to hold a numerous amount of books, as well as give space for people to peacefully read whatever they want. This building was designed to have an entrance and an exit, which are both located at the front of the building. The space in the library was definitely created for both efficiency and quiet reflection because since it is a public library, it is essential for it to be efficient so that people would have no issue going from one place to another inside the library and it should be a place for quiet reflection due to how people go to the library for peace and quiet to enjoy their novels. The New York Public Library is also made of marble, which creates a sense of stability, strength and luxury. Since the marble used is a light color, it also gives people a sense of peacefulness and safety. When looking at the library along with the structures around it, the library stands out because no other building around it looks anything close to the library. Everything in the surroundings are more modernized in terms of architecture style. This is because this library is also created under the influence of the Beaux-Art style of architecture because the library on the outside has columns and arches, as well as pediments on top of the doors. Inside the library, there are high ceilings, large spaces, a lot of stairs, and fancy chandeliers, which all give a luxurious feeling. Outside of the library, there are lion statues that guard the stairs, and they are named Patience and Fortitude. They became symbols for New Yorkers after people were struggling to recover from the stock market crash in 1929. Past the lions lie a lot of stairs, which can be seen as a symbol of power due to how people have to look up at it, thus respect it. Inside, there are a lot of stairs as well, leading to many floors, which would cause one to assume that the library holds many books. The ceilings of each floor all have very detailed designs, such as detailed human figures and flowers, as well as instruments and books. In addition, the inside also had mostly marble, which gave people a sense of stability and safety when they are inside. There was also one room where all the walls had magnificent paintings of human and godly figures, which made the environment somewhat calm. The designs of the New York Public Library also expresses the values of New York culture because it showed people that they valued intelligence and community by creating a space that allowed for anyone to come in to read. 

 

Both the Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library had a lot in common in terms of their architectural aspects. For example, they are both considered to be under the Beaux-Art architecture style. This is because they both contained features from both the ancient Greeks and Romans, such as the columns and arches. By looking at both from the outside, many can see that they both look very similar to a lot of ancient structures still in Greece and Rome, such as the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. On the columns in both structures, it had a capital and frieze, which was just like the columns from the ancient Greeks. In addition, they both had a pediment, where the Grand Central Terminal had it on top, while the library had it on top of the doors. Another similarity was based on what Marcus Vitruvius said where architecture must meet three qualities in order to be considered good, and both would be considered good. This is because they are both firm due to how they are very stable and are in good shape, both had its own function, and both were beautiful and was able to attract a lot of admirers. Additionally, both architectural structures have massive insides, with high ceilings, which make it a lot easier to navigate due to how there would not be much traffic. They are both also made up of marble, which gives it a more ancient and luxurious look, and it even makes them both more stable. To add on to the luxurious aspect of both structures, they both have fancy chandeliers, as well as small detailed designs everywhere. 

 

Although both the Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library have many similarities, they also have many differences as well. For example, they both serve totally different functions because the terminal is used mainly as a transportation hub for people to get from one place to another, while the library is used as an area for people to have free access to read books. In terms of the design, the library has the additional structures of the fountain and the two lions that Grand Central Terminal does not have, which makes the library more attention grabbing. In addition, the library has stairs, which make it seem more powerful, while the Grand Central Terminal does not. Another difference is that the Grand Central Terminal has a very expensive clock in the center of the terminal made out of opal, while the library does not. An additional difference is that the library has a lot of floors, but the Grand Central Terminal is just mainly one floor. Furthermore, the Grand Central Station has windows on top that help bring sunlight in, while the New York Public Library was mostly lit by chandeliers and other light sources. Also, the terminal had a design that was a fun interactive where people can talk to each other by facing a corner, while there seem to be no interactive fun that could’ve been done with the design of the library. 

 

Overall, the Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library were both sights that cannot be forgotten. They are both very similar and unique in their own ways, and was very eye capturing at first glance. Staring at both on the outside, as well as going inside, created a sense of shock and awe due to the fact that people cannot understand how things this magnificent was created. Not only did people feel like they were in a luxurious place, they are even reminded of Greece or Rome due to how the designs were borrowed from those cultures. From the columns to the arches, as well as the marble used to build both, the Greeks and Romans were able to influence the architects who made these structures under the Beaux-Art architecture style. All in all, with the numerous amount of similarities and differences between both of these structures, they are worth every minute as people get to admire all the architectural designs that go into creating such incredible structures.