Architecture and Art at Grand Central Madison

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For New York City commuters, train stations have usually been split between the bright, open space of Grand Central Terminal and the crowded, underground tunnels of Penn Station. However, a major new transit project beneath Midtown Manhattan has changed how people travel.

Grand Central Madison is a large train terminal built directly under the original Grand Central Terminal. It is one of the largest modern construction projects in the United States. Dug out of solid rock 15 stories below street level, the station features high ceilings, white walls, and glass partitions to make the underground space feel bright and open.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Arts & Design program also placed permanent artwork throughout the concrete hallways, turning the transit station into an art gallery.

The walls of the lower hallways display large glass tile mosaics and visual art. Commuters walking through the tunnels pass major pieces by artists like Kiki Smith, Yayoi Kusama, and Jordan Casteel. The artwork includes abstract designs, nature scenes, portraits of local residents, and changing digital video displays.

The station walls also display the city's literary history. Inscribed along the stone corridors and waiting areas are dozens of quotes and poems about New York. These wall inscriptions feature writings from authors like Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Joan Didion, Toni Morrison, and E.B. White.