When you think about New York City, It goes without saying the first idea you get is of Grand Central Terminal. It seems like the architects of the terminal were fond of space and astronomy. The terminal has many space-related paintings and history
History
The Grand Central Terminal New York was completed and opened to the public in 1913. It was the masterpiece of chief architect Warren and Wetmore with association with Reed and Stem. It has 44 platforms which is record-breaking in the world, that connects different areas of the city. 750,000 passengers daily commute through Grand Central terminal.
Majestic Roof
The Grand Central Terminal structure is elegant, and the roof of the main hall is Jewel on the crown. The roof of the grand central terminal has a painting of the Mediterranean sky and stars along with zodiac signs. It was painted by a french painter Paul Helleu. If you look closely, you will notice the picture is not depicting the view from earth. This view is from another place above the earth and stars. The design could be a medieval depiction of the sky as it would appear to God watching earth and the star from above. It’s so fascinating to see what earth looks like from another planet. It also has zodiac astronomical signs from Aries to Gemini. The moment you enter the Grand Central terminal you feel enthusiastic, the vibe is different and nostalgic.
The color of the roof is so mesmerizing, you can not go without appreciating. You will experience a Mediterranean blue sky with gold consultation and fiber optics twinkling stars. The depiction of the space on the roof is not what you can see by passing through. You have to stand still and then carefully observe it. And frankly, you can not stand still where the world is moving and nobody is stopping. Well, still some people visit the terminal just to see the roof. Other than the roof, there are several art pieces on the walls all over the terminal. There is a painting of the moon.
A Rocket Inside the building
In 1957 during the cold war, the Soviet Union successfully sent the Sputnik satellite in space, which triggered the space race. At that time to boost the morale of Americans, they started a campaign to boost the motivation and morale of the public. They installed a Redstone missile in the main concourse of the Grand Central Terminal. As there was no possible way to erect the rocket without any support. So they removed a patch from the roof to support the missile with a cable. The removed patch still exists; the authorities intentionally didn’t fix it to preserve events that took place in the Grand Central. That patch now becomes dirty because back in the days smoking was allowed in the public spaces so the smoke was absorbed on the patch.
The Grand Central Terminal is the top 10 tourist attraction in the world. Tour operators are giving you a guide to the historical terminal. It so amazing that originally the planned to make a glass roof, but it was physically not possible. Now we are blessed to see the elegant mural of constellations painted on the roof.
