The Rise and Fall of Pennsylvania Station is an entertaining, one-hour documentary film for television about New York’s original Pennsylvania Railroad Station.  The program tells the story of one of America’s greatest architectural wonders, which opened in 1910 and was demolished by 1966.  The filmmakers draw on a striking mix of elements that merge the history of New York City – from the exciting Gilded Age through two world wars and into the sixties – using interviews with colorful characters from the world of architecture, business and politics, three-dimensional graphic and photo effects.  The three-dimensional graphics consist of five animated scenes that take the viewer on a virtual walk-through of the original Penn Station.

C E N T E N N I A L

September 2010 marked the 100th Anniversary of the opening of  the original  Penn Station.   Our goal is to finish this project this year 2011 for a television presentation which will kick off the series on lost buildings of NYC. 

PROJECT STATUS

This documentary project is at the beginning of the post-production process.  All the elements  are in place:  ten interviews, archival images, 3-D walk-through of the original station ( five scenes), composer, writer for narration, voice over personality. 

Since the first interview was filmed in 1994 with famed architect Philip Johnson and the 5 min. trailer was cut, we have interviewed a list of compelling characters from which our story is told.  Included are David Childs of the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who designed a bold plan for the adaptive reuse of the new Penn Station in the Main Post Office building across 8th Avenue.  Others include Hilary Ballon, Columbia University Professor, Paul Goldberger, Architectural Critic, Richard Cameron, Classicist Architect, Vincent Scully, Yale Architecture Professor, who’s well know quote referring to the disastrous metamorphosis of the station in the early part of the 1960’s,

"Through (Penn Station) one entered the city like a God.

Now one scuttles in like a rat."

FINANCIAL REQUEST

This project can not move forward without financial support from interested people like you.  Our fundraising goal is $200,000 to cover post-production costs.  Up to this point this project has been solely funded by the filmmaker. 

But with your timely support our film can be completed this year 2011.

                                   THIS PROJECT IS SPONSORED BY

THE NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

All donations for this project go through The New York Foundation for the Arts

which acts as our 501 (c) 3 fiscal sponsor.  Your donations will be tax deductible.

Thank you!

WATCH THE TRAILER