Arts for Transit and Urban Design

Harlem - 125 Street

Terry Adkins

Harlem Encore, 1999

Aluminum panels with ornamental back-lighting on overpass

MTA Metro-North's two-mile Park Avenue Viaduct carries trains in and out of Grand Central Terminal. Parts of the structure date back to the 19th century, including the landmark 125th Street railroad station, that has been restored. The station is a busy site and an entry point to a community that is alive 24/7.

For the bridge, sculptor Terry Adkins's created Harlem Encore in two distinct silhouetted aluminum relief panels. The work celebrates Harlem's past achievements and bright future. In the polished images that flank the bridge's western façade, Adkins has memorialized the Afro-Atlantic ancestors with figures that reflect the spiritual triumph over adversity. On the eastern side the art salutes continuity and urban life with figures seen in the midst of skyscrapers. On both sides, sphinxes and streaming suns add strength, dignity, and timelessness. At night, blue back lighting accentuates Harlem Encore's powerful presence on the street.