Chicago Union Station Historic Preservation Plan

Chicago, IL

AltusWorks was the Historic Preservation Consultant on a multi-discipline international design team led by ARUP charged with the preliminary engineering of 13 distinct projects at Chicago Union Station focused on improved operations, safety, and accessibility of the headhouse, concourse and platforms. In order to implement these improvements, a comprehensive Historic Preservation Plan (HPP) was needed to establish parameters and guide the design process to improve, restore and reconstruct historic elements, volumes and views as designed and envisioned by the architect, Daniel Burnham. The HPP established the historical context, identified character defining features, spaces and materials, and defined treatment recommendations to guide design decisions to sympathetically integrate development plans without compromising the valued historic resources. The HPP lays the groundwork, not only for these immediate needs, but will be the springboard for project specific preservation plans as future undertakings are realized in and around the station.