The IRT Powerhouse (Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse) is a former power station of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. Built in 1904, the "thoroughly classical colossus of a building" [1] fills the entire block between 58th to 59th Street, and from 11th to 12th Avenues in Manhattan at 40°46′19″N 73°59′32″W / 40.77194°N 73.99222°WCoordinates: 40°46′19″N 73°59′32″W / 40.77194°N 73.99222°W.[2] The building became unnecessary to the subway system in the 1950s, it has since been operated by Con Ed.[2]
The powerhouse is an elaborately detailed Renaissance Revival building.[2] The architect was Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White.[3] The building's magnificence and ornate details reflect the ideas of the City Beautiful.[2] It has been described as "a classical temple that paid homage to modern industry.[4] According to the Municipal Art Society, many of the building’s original details are intact, although in March 2009, the Consolidated Edison Company removed the last of its smokestacks.[2][5] The building originally had six smokestacks, designed to echo the smokestacks on the great steamships at the nearby Hudson River piers.[1]
References
- ^ a b Glueck, Grace (April 18, 1997). "Appreciating the Palaces of a Sumptuous Past". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/18/arts/appreciating-the-palaces-of-a-sumptuous-past.html?pagewanted=all.
- ^ a b c d e Baldock, Melissa (March 19, 2009). "IRT Powerhouse: Hoping Third Time’s A Charm for Landmarking". Municipal Arts Society of New York. http://mas.org/irt-powerhouse-hoping-third-times-a-charm-for-landmarking/.
- ^ Lowe, David (1999). Stanford White's New York. Watson-Guptill. p. 194.
- ^ Hood, Clifton (2004). 722 miles: the building of the subways and how they transformed New York. JHU Press. p. 94.
- ^ Pogrebin, Robin (May 11, 2009). "After 2 Years, a Meeting on Village Landmarks". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/arts/design/12vill.html?pagewanted=2&th&emc=th.
External links
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