Michael Bierut: Grand Central Centenary Logo

Date
21 March 2012

Miles Davis once said: “A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I’m still doing it.” Ex post facto icons are all very well but those which endure are all the more impressive. That’s why Grand Central station is such a feature of New York City, an awesome architectural space steeped in history which continues to serve the city. Who better than to design the logo to mark its centenary, than Michael Bierut and his Pentagram team? Launched yesterday, his version of the famous Tiffany clock from the main concourse shows 7:13, or 19:13, the year in which the station opened and is a fitting tribute to the fine old grandee.

The clock was drawn by Joe Marianek, and the word “Terminal” has been dropped as is the custom among native New Yorkers. The official rededictaion ceremony will take place on February 1 2013 and for 12 months the words “100 Years” will sit under the logo.

As usual there’s more detail on the Pentagram site as well as mock-ups of the new logo in use in a variety of formats. This news report also shows how American TV has been reacting to the news and includes an interview with the designer.

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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