BY GABE HERMAN | The 28th St. subway station on the 6 line reopened on Jan. 14 with new colorful artwork and several updated amenities.
The station closed last July and was originally scheduled to reopen in December, but that was pushed back a month.
The station, which is on Park Ave. South, now features mosaic tilework by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios, made from art by Nancy Blum, a Brooklyn-based artist.
The art is called “Roaming Underfoot” and features seven different flowers and plants based on the perennial collection of the nearby Madison Square Park Conservancy, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Arts and Design. The foliage types include magnolias, daffodils, witch hazel, hydrangea, camellia, red buds and hellebores.
“Each is suited to the changing climate conditions of the city,” said a Jan. 15 Instagram post
by M.T.A. Arts and Design. “Similar to a glorious garden, the larger-than-life underground flowers create a delightful space in every season,” continued the flowery description.
Artist Nancy Blum shared her excitement about the station’s new art, writing in a Jan. 15 Facebook post, “So happy that mosaics of my work are permanently installed at the beautifully renovated 28th St. station.”
Blum’s art is also featured at the Dobbs Ferry Metro North station, which has several flower mosaics that were also done by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios.
The M.T.A. said the E. 28th St. station, which is one of the system’s oldest going back to the early 20th century, was in disrepair and that fully closing it would be faster for finishing the needed work.
“We have had great success with these projects in terms of how much work can be done in a short span of time when construction crews have total round-the-clock access,” Andy Byford, president of NYC Transit, said last year about the station and two others in Manhattan that were also temporarily closed for work. “We thank customers for their patience as we make these repairs and improvements, which will bring practical benefits to our customers for many decades.”
The newly opened station now includes countdown clocks, digital signage with real-time information, brighter and more energy-efficient lights, and new seating. The turnstile areas have new glass barriers and security cameras. And the bright and colorful flower mosaics make the station more cheery and serve as a hopeful reminder that spring will be here eventually.
