Union Station is Canada’s largest railway station and Toronto’s central ground transportation hub serving over 250,000 passengers per day through subway, streetcar and bus services along with regional and inter-city trains.

The history of Union Station can be traced back to 1858, but the current location at 65 Front Street West was built in the early 1900s, and took over 20 years to complete (and it seems to have been under some sort of construction ever since…). The exterior was designed in a Beaux-Art style by Montreal firm Ross and Macdonald in conjunction with Toronto architect John M Lyle.

The symmetrical building is comprised of 3 connected sections and constructed entirely of limestone.  The middle loggia features 22 40-foot high Roman columns with 14 3-storey bays on either side.  Each bay has 3 rectangular windows which provide plenty of natural light to the building’s interior.  The 2 structures at either end of the main building each contain an additional 10 bays with more windows.  As a whole, Union Station occupies an entire city block.

At different times of the year, the plaza out front hosts different events, with one of the most popular being Union Summer.  This market, which happens in July and August, features a variety of food and beverage options as well as live music and film screenings.

The front entrance of Union Station leads into the 76 m long and 27 m high Great Hall which is comprised of limestone walls, marble floors and translucent glass windows with bronze accents.

Each end of the Great Hall features a four-storey tall arched window.  The Hall’s central feature is the main clock and departures board.

Another interesting design aspect of the Great Hall are the names of many Canadian destinations carved just below the cornice on each wall.

Stairwells, ramps and The West Hall lead out of The Great Hall to arrival/departure areas, shops, The Path, and urban transit options.  These different areas will be the topic of my next blog.

One thing I found interesting when reading about Union Station was that it housed a gun range from 1927 until 2008. The original purpose was so railway police could practice their shooting skills, but it was subsequently opened to the public. The city closed the range in 2008 in an attempt to try and curb gun violence.

 

I’d love to see any shots you have of Union Station – and I’d also appreciate hearing what you liked about about this post!

 

COMING SOON:  The next “How To” blog focusing on edits to my  Skywalk shot.  If you haven’t had the chance to look at the first two please do.

 

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Beaux Art Canada Columns Design Destination Front Street Great Hall Limestone Loggia Marble Railway Station Subway Symmetrical Toronto Toronto Transit Commission Trains Transportation Union Station Union Summer Windows