Union Station, Los Angeles

For a while now I've been wanting to tour Union Station in Los Angeles. I have a deep affection for Spanish Architecture in and around Los Angeles. In fact, I'm constantly snapping photos of homes around Los Angeles in an effort to discover details and features that I can incorporate in a new Spanish style home I've been working on. What makes Los Angeles the perfect source of inspiration is that the structures are so old, historic in most cases, and they were all built with an attention to detail (and no attention to expense) that you just don't see anymore.

Los Angeles Union Station is the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. It was built during the 1930s in an effort to consolidate rail services from numerous railways into one terminal, and take over service from La Grande Station and Central Station. Both were incredible structures of the early 1900s, one of which suffered major damage during the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake.

It was partially designed by John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, who had also designed Los Angeles City Hall and other LA landmarks. They were assisted by a number of other architects who worked together to combine Dutch Colonial Revival, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne Architecture with materials like travertine marble, terra cotta and steel finished to look like wood.

The original ticket concourse (below) features sixty-two foot tall ceilings and a one hundred and ten foot counter. It features incredible ceiling details, giant arched windows and suspended brass chandeliers. You'll pass through exterior courtyards, passages with bright blue ceiling details, enormous archways and brass doors just to feast your eyes on the concourse, which is now closed to the public.

It's an incredible fete of architecture, which is considered to be small compared to other Union Stations in America. Passengers wait in oversized leather seats for their next train, or in "Traxx" the restaurant and bar. I looked into the bar and it was lined with dark wood paneling that had an undeniable rich history lingering from it. It's really a sight to see that most people probably miss in a rush to get to wherever they are going. If you're in the area and have twenty minutes (the intervals charged at temporary parking) you should really take a look at this historical landmark.

If you want to read more about it, get your hands on the book Los Angeles Union Station at Amazon.