October 29, 2005
Grand Central refurbishment nearly complete
 A massive cleaning and refurbishment of the Grand Central Terminal has taken more than two years and $21 million, but the work is nearly complete, Newsday reports.
The outdoor scaffolding has been removed, again revealing Mercury, Hercules and Minerva, atop the south facade along with the cleaned clock regilded with sheets of 23.75-karat Italian gold. More details from Newsday:
Cleaning and repair of the station's 21,000 loose and grimy limestone blocks has taken this long because each stone was bathed in a fine mist of filtered water intended to gently lift the nearly century-old layer of grit that had accumulated.
After six hours of misting, each stone was treated to a low-pressure rinse with purified water. If the bricks were stained by copper or iron, a poultice of clay and reactive chemicals was applied, an MTA spokesperson said.
The project also involved the cleaning of two unseen and virtually unknown interior lightwells. Those contain the pyramid skylights from which the famed "melon" chandeliers hang over the north balcony and Oyster Bar ramps. The cleaning has noticeably increased the amount of reflected light that now shines into the main concourse.
Free walking tours are offered twice each week. The Wednesday tour, sponsored by the Municipal Art Society, focuses just on the terminal; the Friday tour, sponsored by the Grand Central Partnership, takes in part of the surrounding neighborhood as well. See Grand Central's web page for details.
October 29, 2005 06:22 PM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, Midtown, Sightsology, Tours
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