Circle of Design Excellence
2004|
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However, it wasn’t until 1920 when the Brooklyn Rapid Transit opened the West End Terminal at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues that this area was made accessible to everyone. The new subway terminal was the first affordable direct route to bring people from the other boroughs to the beach at Coney Island.
Eighty-five years later, the aging station did not look like a station that is believed to be the largest above ground rapid transit terminal in the world hosting millions of riders yearly. Officials at New York City Transit, a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) knew it was time for a change.
In May 2004, after a $190+ million renovation, NYC Transit proudly unveiled the new Coney Island Subway Terminal. The new station features an arched glass photovoltaic canopy to cover the platforms and a soon-to-open portal building with open retail arcade and police station. However, the most unique addition to the station is the 300-foot long curvilinear glass block partition wall mural that captures the decades of history that Coney Island embodies. NYC Transit architects envisioned this wall of glass that varies from 8 to18 feet in height, to be located in the fare and turnstile area that would run from the street entrance, through the fare and turnstile area, and end in the bus area, as a natural light source for these areas.
Coney Island Takes Art to a New Level
MTA’s Arts for Transit program, an office whose primary mission is to create site-specific permanent artwork in rehabilitated stations within the transit system, and consultant Vel Riberto oversaw the Coney Island artwork project. Riberto, along with a team from the MTA’s Arts for Transit program selected artist, Robert Wilson, to begin planning the artistic elements of the new station. Wilson, famous for his theatrical productions and sculptures around the world, developed a concept for the station, which he named, “My Coney Island Baby,” that depicted a whimsical look at the last 100 years of Coney Island.
While it is the MTA's standard to incorporate public art into each of their projects, Wilson's vision for the art at the Coney Island Subway Terminal took on a life of its own. The wall of glass, designed by the architects for functionality, would act as the backdrop of his life-size mural featuring the sights that have made the area famous, such as The Wonder Wheel, roller coasters, midgets, hot dogs and boardwalk.
“The history of Coney Island revolved around its famous amusement parks and beaches,” said Riberto. “The images that Robert Wilson has created will reflect this rich history through images that visitors to the Coney Island Subway Terminal will enjoy for many decades.”
Quality Glass for Fine Art
With the constant traffic and the rugged ocean-side environment of the station, NYC Transit architects knew that they would need to find a product for the glass wall that could withstand the traffic, weather and test of time. They immediately looked to glass block due to the success of the material in other NYC Transit stations.
Having worked on other NYC Transit projects, Nick Loomis, Senior Systems Engineer for Pittsburgh Corning, the leading manufacturer of glass block products since 1937, and Tony Kava of Glass Block of America, a leading distributor and installer of Pittsburgh Corning Glass Block, were brought into the project. Loomis and Kava recommended Pittsburgh Corning’s VISTABRIK® solid glass block for the wall because it provided three inches of solid glass while still providing a durable, aesthetically-pleasing, light transmitting material that could provide a backdrop for the artistic mural.
“We often recommend VISTABRIK® glass block for municipal buildings not only for its durability, but additionally, because the solid blocks are impact-, vandal- and bullet-resistant,” Loomis explained. “In fact, because of these characteristics, NYC Transit is one of the largest users of VISTABRIK® glass block in the world,” Kava stated.
Sealed for Safety
Once the material was chosen, Wilson and Riberto called upon Franz Mayer of Munich, Inc., an international leading studio for architectural and artistic glass design and mosaic works located in Munich, Germany, to devise a way for Wilson’s artwork to be bonded to the 300-foot long, 17-foot high glass block wall. The team was faced with the dilemma that while the glass blocks themselves were vandal-resistant, the art still needed to be protected.
Pittsburgh Corning’s VISTABRIK® glass blocks are made of two one-and-a-half-inch solid glass pavers bonded together to create the three-inch-wide block. Working closely with Pittsburgh Corning representatives to examine the glass block product, artists from Franz Mayer developed a process to bond the artwork in the middle of the two glass block pavers.
Franz Mayer worked with more than 8,500 1½” Pittsburgh Corning VISTABRIK® glass blocks to begin the unique process. With the VISTABRIK® glass block split in half, the images were silk-screened to the glass pavers. After the artwork was applied to the pavers, they were placed in a kiln to be baked into the glass. Finally, the glass block with art was laminated to another one-and-a-half inch stippled paver. The pavers were then bonded together using a PVB foil.
“The PVB foil laminate is the same material that is used in car windshields to make safety glass that is impact resistant,” explained Kava. “So not only did it create a unique way to protect the artwork, they created a product that has additional security characteristics.”
Added Testing for Specialized Construction
Unlike most glass block fabrication, the extreme size of the wall required specialized construction since installation specifications set by Pittsburgh Corning state that VISTABRIK® glass block sections should be no more than 94 square feet. In addition to Pittsburgh Corning’s stringent specifications, the MTA required that the work would still look the same and have no deterioration for 50-100 years. All parties together worked diligently to test the large wall segments to ensure the construction met with Pittsburgh Corning’s stringent safety standards.
To provide the additional vertical support needed to sustain the 17-foot high walls, NYC Transit architects and engineers designed a system in which masonry supports extending from the back of the wall were attached to tubular steel columns. After vigorous testing at Architectural Testing Inc., the leading building design testing facility located in York, Pennsylvania, the structure proved successful in meeting the safety criteria.
“We are proud to be able to offer a product with uncompromised integrity,” said Loomis. “This mural is a one-of-a-kind, but after the success, we hope that the MTA will be ready to use Pittsburgh Corning glass block in more of their projects.”
Construction Finalized for Commuter Enjoyment
After more than two years of designing, developing and testing, the curvilinear glass block wall mural was completed, making it the largest and longest VISTABRIK® glass block wall in the country.
“We are extremely grateful and proud to have been involved with such a world class project,” said both Loomis and Kava. “From an engineering standpoint, it is just another example of the endless design capabilities of Pittsburgh Corning Glass Block products,” added Loomis.