What kind of architecture is the Grand Central Terminal?

What kind of architecture is the Grand Central Terminal?

• Is it Neo Baroque, Romanesque, Gothic, Queen Anne Style, Regional, Modern, Minimalism, Post Modern, etc...

• Answer:

  Modeled on Roman imperial baths, Warren & Wetmore's Beaux Arts architectural design is, in effect, a surface dressing for this masterful circulation plan. The monumental main concourse [1903-13] is capped by a vaulted plaster ceiling suspended from a steel substructure. Thermal windows bring light into the concourse and serve as hallways linking to office spaces at the concourse's four corners. Guastavino vaults grace portions of the broad, shallow lower level. Acorns and oak leaves--both symbols of the Vanderbilt family--adorn the interior. Outside, the limestone-clad station's southern facade has the grand scale of the interior. Modeled on a Roman triumphal arch, the facade symbolizes the triumph of the railroad. It was also envisioned as a gateway to the city, then located primarily to the station's south. Jules Coutan's central sculptural group depicts Mercury (the god of commerce) supported by Minerva and Hercules (representing mental and moral strength). After the original Pennsylvania Station was demolished in 1963, Grand Central Terminal was landmarked. This innovative complex, integrating the train system with an intricate web of urban conditions, will be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.