IRT Substation No. 42

 electrical substation, 1997_construction, postmodern (architecture)

2-story electrical substation completed in 1997, during the construction of the apartment tower next door. Designed by John Schimenti, the architect of the adjoining tower, it replaced a 1-story substation on this site dating from 1917. It is clad in dark grey-brown brick to match the tower, with a polished brown granite water table that also matches. The ground floor has two tall garage doors between which is a bronze plaque. The upper floor has an expansive 8-over-4 pane window opening with a thin stone sill and metal framing. Above it are seven square panels outlined with light-colored stone, between ornamental tops to the end piers. The roof line is capped by a simple stone coping. At the west end there is a narrow 1-story extension that joins to the apartment tower; it is clad in polished granite and has a narrow metal service door.