February 08, 2005

The whispering gallery of Grand Central Terminal

Among the secrets of the Grand Central Terminal is the "whispering gallery" in front of the famous Oyster Bar & Restaurant. There is no sign marking the gallery or how to make it work. But if you wait a few minutes, a couple will undoubtedly walk up and head to separate corners and elicit its magic.

The low ceramic arches, built for the 1913 opening of Grand Central, are designed in such a perfect way that if two people stand at diagonal arches and whisper into a corner, they should be able to hear each other as if they were face to face – not far across the way.

"I was raised in New York and my father taught me about it when I was just a little, little girl," said Catherine Wiley, who was visiting recently from Brookings, Ore. On this trip, she was traveling with her boyfriend, Ed McDonald, and she brought him to Grand Central to show him the trick.

It’s also a popular scene for marriage proposals. "I see them all the time," said Mary Sitter, a hostess at the Oyster Bar. "There’s a lot at Valentine’s Day."

Sitter, who grew up in Queens, is also a good gauge of how few people know the secret of the arches. Until she started working at the Oyster Bar, she knew nothing of the whispering arches. "I’m a New Yorker and I hadn’t ever heard of this."

So how does it work?

"The voice actually follows the curvature of the ceiling,” said urban historian Justin Ferate, who leads tours of Grand Central. It’s called "telegraphing."

The arches were designed by a father and son team, Rafael Guastavino and Rafael Guastavino Jr. Their work has become a signature style for the city, found in hundreds of places, such as in the Great Hall at Ellis Island, the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, St. Paul’s Chapel at Columbia University, the space under the Queensboro Bridge – which can be viewed from the pricey Guastavino’s restaurant - or next door at the Food Emporium grocery store.

The acoustics of the Guastavino arches have fascinated many people, according to architecture critic Francis Morrone, who is working on a book about Grand Central Terminal. Jazz composer Charles Mingus not only liked to play his bass under the whispering arches at Grand Central, but he also proposed to his wife there, Morrone said.

The acoustics of the arches can hold other surprises – especially for diners at the Oyster Bar, which also has Guastavino ceilings. It’s not the place you want to go if you have any secrets to discuss. "We’re still finding spots in the restaurant where your conversation carries across the room," Sitter said.

February 8, 2005 10:16 AM in Architecture, History, Midtown, Sightsology

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