h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hm, we're getting a fair few rail stations mentioned, yes?

Union Station went through a quite celebrated restoration a decade or so ago, and the result is that Washington has a fitting gateway for anyone arriving by rail as well as a beautiful building that is an attraction in its own right. The station is located just two blocks from the Capitol building.

In a city full of monuments, Union Station is perhaps a monument to times when rail was the dominant method of travel. The white facade with its row of arches seems right at home with the equally notable buildings in its vicinity, though it manages to look better than most of the insitutional buildings in town. The landscaping opposite its front entrance is rare for a station in the middle of a city.

Perhaps more impressive is what's inside. The station now sports two levels of shopping and dining within its main hall, and yet it's done in such a way that nothing is lost from the soaring heights of the grand interior. It blends so well that you'd think the station was made this way from the beginning. And unlike some other station conversions in the US, the trains still arrive and depart many times a day. Commuter trains from the adjacent states of Maryland and Virginia as well as Amtrak use the station, and the red line of Washington's excellent Metro subway system also stops here.

This is a difficult topic to do without links! One needs to see photos to understand why such a building would be considered among the most beautiful. You can find them I'm sure, though. It's an impressive blend of form and function, with no compromise in either.