Chicago Union Station Great Hall restoration work completed in time for busiest travel period of the year
A $22-million restoration project to return the splendor of Chicago Union Station's Great Hall was completed in time for the historic space to host a holiday lighting ceremony on Nov. 29, 2018. Chicago Union Station is the fourth busiest on Amtrak's national network and the railroad noted the holidays are typically the a popular travel time for its riders. The 93-year-old station serves 37.6 million Amtrak and Metra rail passengers annually.
The main focus of the project, which was funded by Amtrak, was the repair and replacement of the Great Hall's 219-foot-long skylight that sits 115 feet above the floor. The original skylight had deteriorated due to flaws within the original design that led to water damage to the walls of the Great Hall and to the skylight itself. Amtrak credits contractor Berglund Construction and architect Goettsch Partners with devising a creative solution that allowed repair work to occur while maintaining use of the Great Hall.
A work deck was suspended above the Great Hall for 12 months so that crews could construct a modern, energy-efficient skylight with 858 panes of clear high-efficiency glass five feet above the original skylight. Amtrak says natural light into the Great Hall has been increased about 50 percent by replacing the 2,052 pieces of glass in the historic skylight with a textured glass surface matching the original look.
The Henry Hering figural statues representing day and night have been restored and will be illuminated, 24 ceiling chandeliers restored and re-hung and 27 historic reproduction light fixtures installed. Additionally, a new elevator from Canal Street now allows ADA-compliant access to the Great Hall from the west side of the street for the first time.
“This work enhances our customer experience, with a much brighter and inviting Great Hall,” said David Handera, Amtrak vice president, Stations, Properties and Accessibility. “Amtrak has concentrated efforts to ensure our stations are universally accessible and the new elevator from the west side of Canal Street provides an ease of station access for everyone.”
A new ChicagoUnionStation.com to improve station wayfinding and to book events will feature images of the renovated station when it debuts next month. Early in 2019, the site will host a documentary video centering on this project while looking at the station’s past and highlighting its future, including a new Clinton Street entrance for improved Great Hall access and services.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
