The historic Union Station in Denver is being given a new lease on life as a repurposed hotel.
Denver's Union Station, which was originally built in 1894, had seen better days, especially during the roaring '20s when 80 trains would pass through the station. Since the train isn't quite the popular travel method that it was back then, Union Station fell on tough times and was even closed off and abandoned, bring a sad irony to the glowing 'Travel by Train' neon sign over its entrance arches.
However, Union Station is coming back as a posh hotel with 112 planned guest rooms. The station's roots are being honored with half the rooms being designed like re-purposed rail cars, and the other half being more classical in their designs with exposed brick and high ceilings.
The hotel is slated to open in Summer of 2014, and soon after trains will come back to Union Station as part of the city's light rail system.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Repurposed Train Stations
- Opportunity to repurpose historic train stations into hotels or other commercial spaces.
- Historic Preservation
- Focus on preserving and revitalizing historic buildings to serve modern purposes, such as hotels.
- Combining Old and New
- Trend of blending old architectural elements with contemporary design to create unique and attractive spaces.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Hospitality
- Hotel industry can explore repurposing historic train stations into unique, luxurious accommodations.
- Real Estate
- Real estate developers can see potential in acquiring and renovating disused train stations for commercial use.
- Architecture and Design
- Architects and designers can specialize in transforming historic structures into functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces.
