Nov 27, 2019 _ news

A Golden Legacy: Union Terminal Wins BD+C Reconstruction Award

Cincinnati’s Union Terminal recently won gold in Building Construction + Design’s (BD+C) 2019 Reconstruction Awards. The publication honors the nation’s best historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations each year with its Reconstruction Awards.

Built in 1933, the former train terminal is one of the most important—and most formidable—examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. But the integrity of the cherished, Cincinnati icon was threatened by water damage and decades of wear and tear.

After creating a massive 3D point cloud model of the building to document existing conditions, the renovation involved removing, waterproofing, and reassembling Union Terminal’s iconic fountain as well as sections of the building’s façades and updating all its mechanical systems.

Not only has Cincinnati Union Terminal been restored back to its original 1933 condition, the museum-going experience has been re-imagined, making it easier for visitors to choose how to move through the space and engage with exhibits.

The team included, GBBN (design and executive architect), John G. Waite Associates (historic preservation architect), Turner Construction (construction manager), Facilities Management and Planning Services (owner’s representative), Cincinnati Museum Center (tenant), and others.

Read the writeup in BD+C.

For more on this award-winning project, see our case study or read about it in Preservation Magazine.