Union Station, Los Angeles, has been the epitome of Southern California glamour since its inception. What has become known as the “Last of the Great Train Stations” and dubbed “Los Angeles’ Living Room”, has been uniting families, friends and the community—providing a major gateway to the City of Los Angeles for over eight decades.
Initially built to unite five different railroads, Los Angeles Union Station carries on that tradition by fulfilling its role as a major multi-modal transportation hub. Currently serving approximately 100,000 to 110,000 daily passengers, Union Station connects Amtrak’s regional and long-distance trains, Metrolink commuter trains, LA Metro light rail lines and various bus lines, with ridership surging during major events such as FIFA World Cup, Olympics and Para Olympics.
Today’s stewards of Union Station, Morlin Management, have accepted the daunting task of maintaining this much beloved, historic landmark: tasked with enhancing the functionality and relevance required of a major transit hub, while maintaining its beautiful and historic foundations. To assist them in this complex endeavor, they have once again engaged the services of Branding, Signage & Wayfinding, Placemaking and Environmental Graphic firm, Selbert Perkins Design. Working in conjunction with the multiple stakeholders, SPD spearheaded this massive 12 month modernization challenge.
As a bustling 52-acre transportation center in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, you can well imagine the complexity of creating a signage and wayfinding system that empowers travelers to quickly and easily navigate their way to and from the various modes of transport is no trivial task. Additionally, integrating digital signage into a historically registered building requires diligence and expertise. Not all digital signs are up to the task. Union Station was designed with the melding of the Art Decco, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne styles. Therefore the esthetics of the signs must transcend and blend with all of those styles.
The digital displays that we chose for this project are ultra crisp and clear: utilizing the most advanced technology to ensure brilliant content delivery, easy to read wayfinding as well as to comply with the strict ADA regulations. The displays are integrated with the scheduling systems of the transportation providers, ensuring accurate and timely updates.
While some of the signs and monitors are permanently mounted, others, such as those in the famed Ticket Concourse with its 61’ high ceilings and Waiting Room with its stunning Art Deco-inspired bronze chandeliers are temporary, allowing them to be configured for various events, such as being an Official Fan Zone for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The system can be easily reconfigured as events, technology and needs change, without the risk of damaging this tremendous edifice.
In addition to the dynamic adaptability capabilities that are inherent to digital wayfinding, is the ability to provide a revenue stream via digital adverts. When done right, it is an effective way to advertise what Los Angeles has to offer our in-bound visitors, improving the travelers’ experience. In the case of Union Station, it also provides a source of revenue to assist its caretakers in preserving, protecting and enhancing this last of the great railway stations.
Working closely with teams from each organization, SPD was able to create an analog and digital wayfinding and content delivery system which serves the needs of travelers and transportation providers alike. And in doing so, provides the foundation to keep this piece of our history thriving: uniting families, friends and the community—providing a major gateway to the City of Los Angeles for at least another eight decades.
