LIT Lighting Design Awards announced on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 that CharterSills was named LIT 2020 Lighting Designer of the Year for their work on the Union Station Great Hall Restoration. CharterSills Lead Designer Erin Held was the Lead Lighting Designer on the Great Hall restoration project (shown in the image below).
Image source: Lighting Design Awards
The iconic Great Hall inside Chicago’s Union Station was designed in 1925, but an aging skylight had led to water damage and deterioration. A 42-month project began to provide repairs and improvements, including restoring the skylight and original color scheme.
A previous energy efficiency upgrade to the lighting had installed large induction flood lights that were very visible from below. Since the focal point of the Great Hall is the skylight, the new lighting needed to play a supportive role and not take away from its architectural presence.
New LED cove lights on the second floor ledge wrap the hall, calling attention to space's volume and intricate plaster detailing. Inground column uplights provide brightness at pedestrian level, and color changing grazers allow the station to customize for events. At adjacent stair and mezzanine areas the original chandeliers were restored and upgraded to LED. Low profile cove lights and discreet downlights were added to increase light levels to balance with the hall. All lighting is now dimmable and controllable. With this new lighting design, the station is able to provide ambiance and a new experience to travelers and visitors alike.
From CharterSills: “We are honored to be named the LIT Lighting Design Awards 2020 Lighting Designer of the Year! Please join us in congratulating our very own Erin Held and celebrating her fabulous work on the Union Station Great Hall Restoration in Chicago. We also congratulate all of our partners in this grand restoration effort, including Amtrak, CBRE, Goettsch Partners, Klein & Hoffman, Berglund Construction, ESD - Environmental Systems Design, Inc., and all others involved in the project.”