Amtrak’s Chicago Union Station has been going through some changes. The Great Hall has been renovated over the last year and is almost completed on November 12, 2018. Built in 1925, the 219-foot long skylight has been totally rebuilt. To maintain movement through the Great Hall during renovation, all the construction was be done without closing the space, with decks suspended from the 115-foot-tall ceiling providing an unobtrusive workspace. To address the skylight’s water leakage problems, each of the 2,052 pieces of glass were replaced and a new third layer of glass added above the entire opening. New high-efficiency, fully transparent glass panes replaced the current wire-embedded glass, with the end result being about 50 percent more light pouring into the space. Some significant water damage on the walls was repaired and the entire Great Hall repainted in its original color. More changes are likely for Chicago Union Station and the area surrounding the site over the next few years too. It’ll be interesting to see what happens, and hopefully as much as possible of the landmarked Beaux Arts building will be retained for future travelers.
