Passage

2004 Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street–Broadway (E, F, M, R, 7) New York City Transit

“Passage” was designed by Tom Patti in tandem with the architects, FX + FOWLE, as an integral part of the station. It features trapezoidal-shaped windows fitted into the steel so they can be opened and allow air into the platform. The laminated, impact-resistant security glass is layered with a plasma composite material to break up light into the colors of the spectrum. Patti said that “Passage” is influenced by the markets, flowers, and colors on the nearby streets. Patti pioneered the integration of industrial and architectural glass into art. "The ability of glass to occupy several physical states - transparent, opaque, dense, solid, weightless - all altering our spatial boundary - challenges me," he said. All the components of “Passage” were handmade in his studio. For Patti, this act of craftsmanship was critical to ensure the integrity of all elements.