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Remaking Union Station Plaza

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 7:40 p.m.
When Union Station opened in 1881, a park-like plaza dotted with trees fronted the building, one that was in place for several decades. Courtesy: Denvers Railroads: The Story of Union Station and the Railroads of Denver 1/11
In 1914, a newly expanded Union Station cut into the plaza, and the remaining park began to make way for tramway tracks and parking lots. The Mizpah Arch remained, a 65-foot tall, 1,294-light steel gateway erected at the front of the plaza in 1906. Courtesy: The Story of Union Station and the Railroads of Denver 2/11
The arch survived until 1931, when it was labeled a traffic hazard and scrapped. For the rest of the century, the plaza functioned almost solely as a parking lot. 3/11
In response to the planned redevelopment of Union Station and its plaza, the Friends of Union Station citizen group formed in 2005 and, in a well-attended workshop, proposed for the plaza an urban square, a game area, a public market, information and food kiosks and more pedestrian friendly surrounding streets. Courtesy: The Rebirth of Union Station: A Vision for the Plaza 4/11
In early 2008, Friends of Union Station members split over the plan to build wing buildings at either end of the plaza. Some members formed the Open Space Initiative Group that argued the buildings diminished the plaza and station; others, believing the structures helped frame the space, created the Union Station Advocates. Courtesy: Union Station Neighborhood Company. 5/11
Over the past few months several student groups have proposed theoretical concepts for the plaza developed for classes at the University of Colorado at Denver. One group proposed modern glass wing buildings, a performance area and a fountain that transforms into an ice skating rink. Courtesy: Denver Union Station Public Space Concept Plans 6/11
Another student group suggested Spanish Steps-style grand staircase leading over the commuter train tracks. Courtesy: Denver Union Station Public Space Concept Plans 7/11
Yet another group recommended shopping arcades and flexible public spaces in the plaza. Courtesy: Denver Union Station Public Space Concept Plans 8/11
This student suggestion involved a glass atrium between station buildings and granite blocks evoking the historic Mizpah Arch. Courtesy: Denver Union Station Public Space Concept Plans 9/11
Last week, Hargreaves Associates, the landscape design firm developing the public realm around the station, unveiled basic themes for these spaces, including an asymmetrical concept for the two halves of the plaza. "One is more active and more open. The other is more local and has more character," says Hargreaves senior partner Mary Margaret Jones. "The one near 18th will be more of a respite. The one near 16th will be more active." The firm plans to finalize the plaza's design over the next few months. Image courtesy Hargreaves Associates. 10/11
Denver wants people to "travel by train" again. 11/11

Remaking Union Station Plaza

As Joel Warner reports in this week's Westword, Denver's Union Station has changed a lot over the years -- and it's now poised for another makeover. Click through for images from the station plaza's history, proposals for its redesign, and design concepts from the architect of its rebirth.

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Words Up at Andenken and Spark

As Joel Warner reports in this week's Westword, Denver's Union Station has changed a lot over the years -- and it's now poised for another makeover. Click through for images from the station plaza's history, proposals for its redesign, and design concepts from the architect of its rebirth.
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