The engineering and architectural firm Arup has been selected to lead the design work for renovations to Chicago’s historic Union Station.
The City of Chicago, railroad service company Amtrak, and a collection of Chicago transportation entities, including the commuter railroad service Metra, worked together on the decision.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Union Station handles more than 125,000 passengers each work day and is the third-busiest station in the country. It is one of four Metra hubs in Chicago, but it is the city's only Amtrak station.
Arup is tasked with expanding concourses and entrances, widening platforms and passageways, and improving ventilation, according to Crain's Chicago.
The idea is to keep the history in tact. Union Station’s features include Bedford limestone Beaux-Arts facades, Corinthian columns, marble floors and staircases, terracotta walls, and brass lamps. The 110-foot high Great Hall, with its barrel-vaulted skylights above, hosts elegant events like receptions and weddings.
Arup led has designed rail station projects in places like New York City, New Delhi, and Florence, Italy.
The first phase of the Union Station project is expected to take 18 months. Crain’s Chicago reports that the Union Station renovations could possibly be funded by $1 billion in low-interest federal loans, known as Railroad Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Financing.
Great Hall in Union Station. Photo: Don Harder/Creative Commons. Click to enlarge.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | May 17, 2016
Foster + Partners-designed towers approved as part of massive neighborhood redevelopment in San Francisco
One of Oceanwide Center’s buildings will be the city’s second tallest.
Big Data | May 5, 2016
The Center for Neighborhood Technology has launched the largest source of transit data in the country
AllTransit analyzes the social benefits of good transit service by analyzing data related to health, equity, and economic development.
Giants 400 | Jan 29, 2016
TRANSIT SECTOR GIANTS: Perkins+Will, Skanska among top transit/TOD facility AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest transit/TOD sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report
Transit Facilities | Jan 18, 2016
Pennsylvania Station set to transform into a world-class transportation hub
Governor Andrew Cuomo presented plans to turn Pennsylvania Station and the neighboring James A. Farley Post Office into a free flowing 21st century work of art.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Transit Facilities | Sep 15, 2015
Grimshaw and Arup unveil proposal for London high-speed train station
Renderings that have been released show a glazed façade and a new entrance that will create a “light and airy destination with shops, restaurants, and cafes.”
Transit Facilities | Sep 10, 2015
New London Underground plan from NBBJ consists of moving walkway
For once, walking can be faster than taking a train.
Transit Facilities | Jul 30, 2015
Snøhetta designs ring-shaped cable car station in Italian Alps
In Snøhetta’s design, two cylindrical rings embedded into the existing topography, each at different elevations, will be connected by a cable car. During the minute-long cable car journey, passengers can enjoy views of the city and of the Italian Alps.
Sponsored | Transit Facilities | Jun 15, 2015
Success through teamwork for landmark California project
The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) is the Grand Central Station of the future
Transit Facilities | Jun 9, 2015
BIG releases golden-roof plan for transport hub in Swedish city
“Like a continuous thin sheet, the roof is gently lifted at its four corners, wrapping the city's vehicular infrastructure in multiple layers of public program and urban spaces,” said Ingels.
