For his first major public project in the United States, internationally acclaimed artist Rudolf Stingel designed an enormous “painting,” which consisted of wall-to-wall pink and blue floral carpet for Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall. Using customized commercial carpet, such as the kind often found in upscale hotels or casinos, Stingel’s Plan B emphasized the creative potential of ordinary materials, as well as expanded the notion of contemporary painting and brought new splendor to some 125,000 commuters’ daily routines.

Photograph by Charlie Samuels

Rudolf Stingel

Plan B

Grand Central Terminal

2004