My research site is: ____Grand Central Terminal_____________. When I made observations about this location, I was standing in this exact location: _East 42nd street and Parks Ave.______________________________.
Ten questions I have about this site (must begin with “why” and “how”):
- Why is Grand Central Terminal famous?
2.Why is it named Grand Central Terminal
3.How did it became the biggest subway station?
4.Who designed GCT?
5.Why did he designed it like this?
6.What was here before?
7.Was GCT ever renewed?
8.How many tracks are there?
9.Why is the ceiling so fancy?
10.How big is the GCT?
Three of the above questions that could be my main central research question:
1.How did it became the biggest subway station?
2.Why is Grand Central Terminal famous?
3.Who designed GCT?
My chosen central research question is: How did it became as a world famous subway station.
After doing some preliminary research, my first draft thesis statement is:
Grand Central Terminal opened its doors at midnight on February 2, 1913. The terminal has 44 platforms, 67 tracks, and 750,000 visitors pass through daily.
Second draft of these statement (revision): Though millions of people pass through daily, it is not only seen as an engineering and organization, but also an outstanding example of science and art, of aesthetics and imagination, possessing one of the biggest interior spaces in the world.
How did you organize your map? What about your location is important to you, and how is this reflected in your map? What in your location are you most curious about, and is it represented in your map? How does your map help you respond to your central research question?
This is my psychological map of Grand Central Terminal. To me ,the main concourse in the centre of the room is an important and noticeable location for the passengers. Therefore, I put the main concourse in the middle of my map. Another recognizable structure would be the Apply store on the east balcony, which was also my point of view when I draw the map. I imagined myself standing on the east balcony when I sketched out the map. Grand Central Terminal is quite complex and many passage ways seem similar, I was easily confused when I was walking around, so I used colors to mark different structures in different locations. However, by walking thoroughly and taking a deep look at this space, the complexity, aesthetics and engineering all contribute as the factors of being the most distinguished interior station in the world.
Annotated Bibliography:
Cannadine, David (February 8, 2013). “A point of View: Grand Central, the world’s loveliest station” BBC News.
(This article provides the public and the professionals’ voice over GTC. )
Middleton, William D. “Grand Central: The World’s Greatest Railway Terminal”, San Marino, CA: Golden West Books (1977) p. 7
(This article informs about the history of Grand Central Terminal.)
Roberts, Sam (2013-01-18). “The Birth of Grand Central Terminal”. The New York Times
(This article introduces the history and purpose of GCT)
Roberts, Sam (22 January 2013). Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America.
(In the text, Sam Roberts tell us about the history of grand central terminal and how did it connects the country together)
“Painters and Sculptors’ Gallery association to Begin Work”. The New York Times.
(This article informs a little about the art part in the Grand Central Terminal. It also tells me about the grand Central Art Gallery.)
Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Gregory; Massengale, John Montague (1983). New York 1900: Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism, 1890–1915
(In the part of text in the book, it tells us about the detailed information of the architecture and platforms design in GCT.)
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Though millions of people pass through daily, it is not only seen as an engineering and organization, but also an outstanding example of science and art, of aesthetics and imagination, possessing one of the biggest interior spaces in the world.
Storyboard:
Final Research Paper:
Artist Statement:
Being a imaginative but quiescent person, I used to have many problems to express my thoughts. After I learned how to integrate my thoughts and even burdens into my paintings and creative works, I start to find some answers and new routes for myself.
I dislike all the constraints just like any other youngsters and I love crazy colors just like how I adore freedom. On the contrast, the colors black/grey play big parts on my personal dress code which sometimes can make me look “boring”. Interestingly, I start to express the concealed other half of myself,the passionate part, on my art works. In my visual cultures and paintings, I used many bright colors to mix and match on most of them such as hot pink, orange, sapphire and etc.
An art teacher that I appreciate a lot of mine once told me that I have a good sense of art and some interesting understandings within myself, and that was when I start to feel a little confident about myself. The reason she said so was because that I surprised her by one of my art work which I named it “Color” while using only one color at all for the whole piece. To me, I rather to send out the special messages in my mind than to go with the flow. To surprise and make something that people would not expect about is my duty that I called for myself as a designer.
Yohiji Yamamoto, the designer I cherish the most of nowadays, has once said: “Design is not exactly a skill, but the sensibility and insight to catch the essence of something.” Designers utilize varied colors, patterns, and figures to express their thinking processes and conclusions until they are persuasive enough when reached to the public, in other words, the public evidences the thoughts and concepts expressed by the designers by their own experiences until they have ultimately understood the designer. The whole process of this wordless communication appeals to me to be a designer. American designer Pulos once stated, “People always think that there are three stages in design: the aesthetics, technology and economics, but in fact the most vital is the fourth dimension: humanity.” These words have carved onto my heart profoundly, the concept of humanity nowadays seems very generalized and vague, but just like how Yamamoto have said, that by capturing the essence of things and to restore the original concept of an object should be our shortcut towards humanity.