Union Station, Tacoma

Union Passenger Station in Tacoma, opened in 1911, is a key landmark known for its distinctive architecture featuring a copper dome. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, it now serves as a courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

The city's initial rail station, built in 1883, was moved to the current Union Station site on Pacific Avenue and expanded in 1892. The new station, designed by Reed and Stem in 1906, aimed to reflect Tacoma's status as a prosperous railway terminus. Construction started in 1909 and finished on May 1, 1911.

Tacoma Union Station exemplifies Beaux-Arts architecture, combining elegance with spatial efficiency. Reed and Stem, known for their railroad station designs, also contributed to New York City's Grand Central Terminal. The station's central feature is a ninety-foot-high copper dome on a pavilion with large arched openings, flanked by symmetrical wings. The exterior, faced with red brick and limestone, includes stained oak doors with bronze hardware and a large window above.

The interior rotunda, once plagued by leaks, was renovated in the early 1990s. The dome was re-covered with copper, the skylight reopened, and the plaster repaired. The rotunda now features glass art by Dale Chihuly, including a 6.1-meter chandelier of cobalt glass globes. Historically significant elements like a large clock, marble fountains, and wooden benches remain.

During its 1990s renovation for court use, most railroad tracks and platforms were removed. A new three-story addition, designed by Merrit and Pardini, was built to the north and east, linked to the original building by an interior connector. The addition provided eight of the ten required courtrooms, with two more in the original wings. Each courtroom can host various court proceedings.