Cincinnati Union Terminal- Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati’s Union Terminal is overwhelmingly beautiful. Seriously- absolutely jaw dropping and heart stopping. Although I had seen pictures of the recently renovated space, nothing prepared me for its in person Art Deco awesomeness. I am actually surprised I am not still there, staring up at the ceiling, taking endless pictures.
Designed by the firm of Fellheimer & Wagner, the stunning station opened in 1933, to much fanfare. Hailed as daringly modern, it featured a shell shaped stepped fountain, fourteen foot weight driven clock, terrazzo floors, a rotunda with curving plaster ceiling, and a magnificent wall of windows. The inner surface of the dome was adorned with a series of shadow mosaic murals by Winold Reiss, depicting the evolution of transportation and Cincinnati life.
The stylish station also included a newsreel theater, a tearoom with Rookwood tile, and a ladies’ lounge with tooled leather Art Nouveau jungle scenes. Unfortunately, following World War II, rail travel declined; although the station limped along for a few decades, service to the station stopped in 1972. Although the platforms were demolished, the building was converted to a shopping mall in 1980. It was an unsuccessful reuse project, with the last tenant leaving in 1985.
The space was then renovated and converted to museum space in 1990. In 1991, Amtrak restored limited service to the station. In 2016, the complex closed for a 2 year, $228 million renovation, which included repairing failing infrastructure, restoring windows, and cleaning the mosaic murals. The results are absolutely magnificent, making the once disused white elephant into one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the world.
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