.@Gothamist reported on @civicartsociety's endeavor to build a magnificent new classical Penn Station in New York City:
A group backed by a wealthy Republican donor has unveiled a new vision for Penn Station that aligns with President Donald Trump’s demand for classical architecture to be the standard for federal buildings.
The Grand Penn Community Alliance, a nonprofit design team, said Tuesday it wants to move Madison Square Garden across Seventh Avenue onto the former site of the Hotel Pennsylvania, which was demolished in 2023. The proposal would replace the arena that has sat atop Penn Station since 1968 with a new public plaza. The designs would also add new entrances to the train hub featuring Greco-Roman columns.
The group pushing the design is funded by the National Civic Art Society, which is backed by New York-based hedge fund manager Thomas Klingenstein. He donated more than $10 million to Republicans during the 2024 election cycle.
Klingenstein’s website includes an essay titled “Make America Beautiful Again” by National Civic Art Society President Justin Shubow. It argues “classical architecture is not just about unparalleled aesthetic excellence; it is the architecture of American democracy.” The essay celebrates an executive order issued by Trump in 2020 that promoted “classical and other traditional architecture” for federal buildings over modern, brutalist designs.
A group backed by a wealthy Republican donor has unveiled a new vision for Penn Station that aligns with President Donald Trump’s demand for classical architecture to be the standard for federal buildings.
The Grand Penn Community Alliance, a nonprofit design team, said Tuesday it wants to move Madison Square Garden across Seventh Avenue onto the former site of the Hotel Pennsylvania, which was demolished in 2023. The proposal would replace the arena that has sat atop Penn Station since 1968 with a new public plaza. The designs would also add new entrances to the train hub featuring Greco-Roman columns.
The group pushing the design is funded by the National Civic Art Society, which is backed by New York-based hedge fund manager Thomas Klingenstein. He donated more than $10 million to Republicans during the 2024 election cycle.
Klingenstein’s website includes an essay titled “Make America Beautiful Again” by National Civic Art Society President Justin Shubow. It argues “classical architecture is not just about unparalleled aesthetic excellence; it is the architecture of American democracy.” The essay celebrates an executive order issued by Trump in 2020 that promoted “classical and other traditional architecture” for federal buildings over modern, brutalist designs.
@Gothamist @civicartsociety
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