Chicago Union Station: A Neoclassical Railway Connecting America

Limestone quarried in Bedford, Ind., gives the Chicago Union Station’s exterior a fortress-like presence. In this view of the station, facing Jackson Boulevard, giant Art Deco-style letters spell out “Union Station,” yet the exterior’s architecture offers subtle neoclassical elements, especially in the decorative pediments over doors and the symmetry expressed in numerous windows. (Carlos Yudica/Shutterstock)

The 99-year-old, citadel-like Chicago Union Station may be dwarfed by the city’s towering glass structures, although its classic architecture makes it stand out in America’s third-largest city. Originally, the station consisted of a two-story “head house” and “concourse,” which occupied a city block. With multiple additions and renovations, the Chicago Union Station stretches nearly 10 city blocks and is the third-busiest rail terminal in the United States. It’s Amtrak’s fourth-busiest station, serving an average of 140,000 passengers every weekday.

The Great Hall and grand staircase endure to this day as part of architect Daniel Burnham’s (1846–1912) 1909 Plan of Chicago. Burnham’s ideas, according to the station’s fact sheet, were to have ”all intercity trains using the same station without the confusing station transfers, complicated railcar movements, difficult baggage forwarding, and complex ticketing previously endured by generations of travelers.” The architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White completed the structure.

It’s no wonder that when the public and press first experienced the Chicago Union Station in 1925, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune wrote, “In respect to both architecture and utility, the new station is one of the most impressive in the world.” After almost a century in existence (the centennial celebration is next year), people who enter the Great Hall still stand with mouths agape and eyes wide to absorb the splendor of this important American edifice.

Neoclassical statements in monumental colonnades and wide porticos define this Jackson Boulevard and Canal Street facing view of the Chicago Union Station. Burnham, who was also the director of works for the 1892–93 World’s Columbian Exposition, realized in the station a grand, sturdy exterior, while saving Beaux Arts designs for the interior. (Carlos Yudica/Shutterstock)

An entryway to the Chicago Union Station features ornate floral columns and geometric-design pediments presented in a gray contrast with polished wood and brass swinging doors. As is the case in other areas of the station’s interior and exterior, the lettering for “Union Station” is presented in the art deco style that was prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s, defined by precise angles, clean lines, and proportioned patterns. (Marcus E Jones/Shutterstock)

Chicago Union Station’s architectural achievement is the Great Hall, which is the station’s main waiting room. In the almost 21,000-square-foot room, a 219-foot-long, barrel-vaulted skylight seemingly soars 115 feet above the floor. Prominent in this room are the many textured and fluted Roman travertine marble columns topped with leafy Corinthian capitals. Henry Hering’s (1874–1949) sculptures, titled “Night and Day,” appear to look down on passengers, who sit on spacious oak benches. The statues symbolize the fact that railroad transportation is a 24-hour operation, with the statue “Night “holding an owl and “Day” holding a rooster. (Public Domain)

A stunning aspect of one part of the Great Hall’s barrel-vaulted ceiling is the incorporation of multiple, framed, inset tray ceiling details. The ceiling appears perched upon carved classical column impressions topped with decorative capitals. The focal point of this Great Hall angle is the almost floor-to-ceiling, multi-paned arched window, which—along with the hall’s skylight—floods the space with light. (prochasson frederic/Shutterstock)

The grand staircase to Canal Street was used for a more than nine-minute scene in “The Untouchables” and showcased the space’s textured travertine stairs with brass arm rails, globe glass and brass chandeliers, massive fluted columns and balcony, marble floor tiles, decorative tray ceiling, and swinging wood and brass doors. (stellamc/Shutterstock)

The cavernous Great Hall ceiling design draws upon the principles of French neoclassicism, Renaissance, and Baroque elements. The barrel-vaulted skylight is surrounded by coffered insets of decorative rosettes and intricate grillwork on the vent system. In 2020, 858 glass panes of new, clear, E-coated glass were created to replace the original panes. The updated panes increase the natural light in the Great Hall by 50 percent. (rarrarorro/Shutterstock)

Would you like to see other kinds of arts and culture articles? Please email us your story ideas or feedback at [email protected]