An Art Deco Icon

As construction moved forward, the beauty of the new transport hub quickly became clear as Fellheimer & Wagner brought their vision to life. Like New York’s Grand Central Terminal and Erie’s Union Station, Fellheimer & Wagner designed the Buffalo Central Terminal in the Art Deco style that was, as they said at the time, the bee’s knees. Art Deco is pretty easy to spot because of its bold, geometric forms and rich material palettes and often include a vertical element like our Tower. In terms of designs—think straight lines, zigzags, chevrons, and even stylized floral patterns. For the materials, think concrete, smooth stone, and metal, with pops of terra cotta and glass.

In the Passenger Concourse, other Art Deco elements stand out, including the use of bright, vivid colors; textured glass; and colored mirrors. As for the Tower, the architects elected to set the upper levels ablaze with light, making it visible up to 15 miles away. Lighted clocks on each of the Tower’s four faces ensured that passengers always knew what time it was.

Construction was completed in June of 1929, with the grand opening held on June 22. In the end, the Central Terminal cost $15 million -- which is roughly $275 million in today’s dollars -- and it was designed to handle over 200 trains and 10,000 passengers daily. The Central Terminal’s raised position allows it to overlook the downtown skyline – including Buffalo's other Art Deco masterpiece, City Hall, which began construction three months after the Central Terminal opened! The Central Terminal is perfectly placed in a way that the designers couldn’t have anticipated: our Buffalo Central Terminal is visible from all four major thruways in the area, all of which would be built decades later.

Photo courtesy of the Brian Angevine Collection.