MTA Arts & Design

Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street

George Trakas

Hook (Archean Reach), Line (Sea House), and Sinker (Mined Swell), 2004

Polished granite, brushed steel, limestone, and Rockville granite throughout station

The array of subway and rail lines at the Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street and LIRR's Terminal presented a perfect opportunity for an "architect/artist" collaboration to unify passages and stairways, creating a coherent and efficient space. George Trakas uses forms and materials that underscore the structure and beauty of the cavernous space.

Trakas selected the stone pavers and bollards for the plaza area. The architects designed a skylight for the historic station kiosk and Trakas added a small peephole equipped with a lens that provides a view from the street to the light-filled space below. The viewer spies a boat-shaped gantry of stainless steel and mesh beneath the skylight. A granite "wave" runs along the walls and crests at the point where the two stations, Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street, meet - linking the passageways. Referencing the names Atlantic and Pacific, the overarching concept is a place of landing and departure - functions shared by train stations and seaports.