A station befitting of the
nation's capital
Plans for expansion and redevelopment in the station include plans to include higher-end retail shops, expanding upon the few higher-end retail they already have to offer, as well as plans to improve the dining concourse of the lower level. Emitting a feeling more reminiscent of a generic food court you could find in any mall in the United States, there are plans to include more higher-end, sit-down restaurants, to match the overall feeling of grandeur one can sense in the Main Hall of Washington Union Station. With all of these plans for expansion and redevelopment, it seems Washington Union Station can definitely become the station befitting of the nation’s capital.
Union station
Upon visiting Washington Union Station, you can tell that original architectural plans and current restoration plans are both aiming for a classy, timeless look for the station. When the coffered ceilings of the Main Hall, gilded in gold leafing, were damaged during the 2011 earthquake that shook the region, the only plan of attack that made sense was to restore the damaged ceilings, keeping the overall higher-class theme in check. Plans for redevelopment would only heighten the feeling, with an expanded station and integrated mixed-use neighborhood to develop upon the adjacent neighborhood known as NoMA, which is short for North of Massachusetts Avenue.
Photo 6: Washington Union Station
Photo 7: Golden coffers of the Main Hall inside Washington Union Station.
Photo 8: Levels of Washington Union Station.
Photo 9: J. Edgar Hoover Building.
Photo 10: Interior of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.