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Informationen zum Autor Kurt C. Schlichting is a professor of sociology and the E. Gerald Corrigan '63 Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Fairfield University. His book Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City , also published by Johns Hopkins, won the Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture from the Association of American Publishers. Klappentext Winner, Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture, Association of American Publishers Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City's preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America's Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city's most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York's network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars. In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean feats of engineering behind its construction. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet--cramped and overburdened--soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Schlichting concludes with an account of the public outcry that prevented the proposed demolition of the terminal in 1969 and the meticulous 1990s restoration project that returned Grand Central Terminal to its original splendor. More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral. "Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels . . . [His] book will deepen anyone's appreciation for New York's most magnificent interior space."-- New York Times Book Review "Schlichting writes with deep understanding of Grand Central's engineering feats and artistic qualities."-- Wilson Quarterly "Schlichting's history of New York's Grand Central Terminal gathers many actors and events into a clearly written and amply illustrated narrative of American commercial initiative."-- Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians Grand Central Terminal is celebrated for its Beaux-Arts style, but Kurt C. Schlichting looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels... His book will deepen anyone's appreciation for New York's most magnificent interior space. -- Eric P. Nash New York Times Book Review Schlichting writes with deep understanding of Grand Central's engineering feats and artistic qualities. -- Tom Lewis Wilson Quarterly His study peels away our contemporary expectations and experiences and reveals the layers of history and acts of men that served as the foundation for this great structure. -- Amy G. Richter H-Urban, H-Net Reviews Drawing heavily from the papers of William J. Wilgus (chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad and the genius behind plans for the smoke-free electrified rail system) and other primary-source material, the author combines railroading, structural engineering, architecture, and business history in a very readable text... An in-depth treatment of design and architecture. Library Journal The most detailed account yet of one of the most important events in the history of 20th-century architecture, railroad development, and city building. Choice Ably tells the story of the New York rail system's most active and visible symbol: the architectural and engineering masterpiece, with its grand public concourse, in ...
