Union Station Looking To Become A "World-Class" Hub Once Again
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The sun setting on the iconic Union Station (Katherine Flynn/Neon Tommy)
Soldiers clad in uniform ready to enlist marched proudly down the new, shiny terra-cotta tile floors. Girlfriends, sisters and wives waved tearfully from depot as the train pulled out of the station. Flags whipped through the air as parade after parade marched through the long hallways and high ceilings of the station.
That was then.
Today, the corridors bustle with passengers glued to their smart phones. The smell of coffee and Wetzel's Pretzels perfumes the air. Illuminated Metro signs and digital arrival boards dot the walls.
Los Angeles' Union Station has transformed again and again throughtout its 75-year history.
As the major hub for rail services, metro lines and commuter trains in L.A., Union Station serves more than 60,000 passengers per day. The station is the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. To better serve all these Angelinos (and temporary Angelinos), the station is getting a makeover.
The iconic 1939 landmark adjacent to Olvera Street is set to undergo the "Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan." The station is getting "reimagined" to keep up and hopefully rival modern hubs in Los Angeles. Although aesthetically beautiful from an architectural point of view, necessary aspects will change such as adjusting the air system, adding updated electronics and outlets and creating a bridge system to easily connect the eastern and western corners of the station. The plan also includes everything from improving the passenger experience, transforming the station into a greater destination with restaurants and preparing for the High Speed Rail. Although this project was announced in September 2012, the final master plan has begun just this month.
As a tag team project, the master plan is being facilitated by local architects Gruen Associates along with New York based Grimshaw Architects. Together, they plan to add semi-shaded outdoor spaces with retail venues and a public plaza with fountains.
To upgrade passenger experience, the plan includes a new pedestrian plaza, improvements to the surrounding art deco patios and gardens, and installing terraces above rail platforms to get a better view of the city.
Passengers in transit in the main staion tunnel. (Katherine Flynn/Neon Tommy)
A train passenger ordering at the station's Starbucks Coffee said he'd enjoy some new dining options within the station.
"As a commuter on the Amtrak, of course it would be great to have a place to sit down either with traveling business partners or on my own and get a drink," he said.
Andy Marino, a Union Station employee, explained what he's looking forward to most is the installation of air conditioning.
"By the end of this month through [the] beginning of next year, we hope to have AC installed for the sake of our employees and, of course, passengers," Marino said. "You'd think in Southern California this would be a no-brainer, but with such an old building, there are some obstacles."
Preserving the architectural integrity of the art deco landmark is a priority to the architects and day-to-day passengers. Although modern touches will be added, the blend of Spanish Colonial architecture and Art Deco details will remain the same. The master plan says it will celebrate the station's history and architecture alongside the
Art deco tile lines the floors that over 60,000 people walk across a day. (Katherine Flynn/ Neon Tommy)
The final and most time-intensive portion of the plan is the installment of the High Speed Rail.
"[It] will take at least a good ten years for the 'Bullet' train to be installed and running. But LA needs it," explained Marino.
On October 16th, there will be an open house "Community Celebration" from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Fred Harvey Room at L.A. Union Station to present the final plan including video simulations, funding opportunities and design details for the project.
Contact Staff Reporter Katherine Flynn here.
