31 Aug 2010

Reader Poll: The Great Hall Debate

The proposed redesign for the Great Hall

The Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) has proposed plans to cut a large hole in the center of Union Station’s Great Hall for a redesign project that will add two large spiral staircases and elevators, which will open the main hall up to the food court below. Something similar was attempted in the 70s, but was a massive failure.

For those who are newer to the area, Union Station was not always what it is today, and there was talk about demolishing it all together. The project in the 70s, timed with the opening of the DC Metro system, was an attempt to turn Union Station into a visitors center, and included a recessed pit to display a slide show presentation (and why you will hear this new proposal referred to as another version of “The Pit”).   However, it failed to bring the revitalization as hoped, and after just two years, the Great Hall was closed and fell into terrible disrepair. The Union Station we know today was re-opened in 1988, after a $70 million rehabilitation project.

Greater Greater Washington has some of the renderings as well as posts looking at arguments for and against the plan, as does Beyond DC and the City Paper’s Housing Complex blog.. Take a look at the plans (PDF), read the arguments, and let us know — do you support the new design?

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7 responses to “Reader Poll: The Great Hall Debate”

  1. Rsb says:

    I think this would be a horrible idea. Not only would it completely destroy the sense of place that the great hall provides, but it is also completely unnecessary. There is a staircase going downstairs right behind the wall of the great hall. The reason people don’t use the food court is because there aren’t any good offerings, not because there is limited access.

  2. ET says:

    Stupid.

    Seriously this is a dumb idea – that space can be noisy already without the noise from the food court. Why run the space with another access point to to food court. Also, it would likely impact people using the Great Hall for events (could be good/bad for most people).

  3. IMGoph says:

    claudia: “large” hole, “massive” failure.

    there’s a lot of leading language here. if this were a real poll, i’d call it a push poll, honestly.

  4. @IMGoph. Ha, a bit but at the same time, the proposal is calling for a large hole and I happen to consider a failed project that led to the closing of the Great Hall for several years a massive failure. I never said these were scientific polls.

  5. IMGoph says:

    well, this proposed hole is certainly smaller than the old one. just saying that drawing parallels between the proposal and the past is tenuous here.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Ever been to the Reichstag in Berlin? The blending of old with new/modern can be stunning. Union Station needs a complete overhaul, this should just be the start.

  7. bm203l7 says:

    Ever been to the Reichstag in Berlin? The blending of old with new/modern can be stunning. Union Station needs a complete overhaul, this should just be the start.

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