On Tuesday, February 28, 2017, join the Harvard Alumni Architecture and Urban Society for a tour of Grand Central Terminal with Lauren Cawse and Nate Rogers of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners. Grand Central met immediate acclaim upon its opening in 1913 as one of the nation’s great monuments to transportation and one of the city’s foremost architectural treasures. But by the 1960’s, the Terminal had fallen into disrepair and faced increasing threats to its integrity and even its existence. A landmark designation and subsequent legal challenges left the Terminal in limbo until 1994, when Beyer Blinder Belle began the decade-long transformation that resulted in the extraordinary complex we know today. The tour will focus on the history of the terminal and the restoration efforts by Beyer Blinder Belle.
The tour will begin promptly at 6:30. We will meet at the clock in the main terminal.
Tour Guide Biographies
Lauren Cawse graduated from the GSD in 2006 with a Masters in Architecture. Her previous professional experience ranges from design-intensive years working for Moshe Safdie to field-oriented technical facade restoration. At Beyer Blinder Belle, where she is an associate, she's able to bring these skills together on institutional adaptive reuse projects. She is currently working on the renovation of the StephenA. Schwarzman Building and the Mid-Manhattan Branch of the New York Public Library.
Nate Rogers (Harvard College ’05) is an Associate at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners. A 2011 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania dual-masters degree program in architecture and historic preservation, he has a deep and longstanding interest in the particular challenges of new design in historic contexts, from the scale of individual buildings to campuses and neighborhoods. Clients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Harvard University.