The challenge was to create a bike hub that met commuters’ needs, could be dismantled if it needed to be relocated in the future, and complemented the existing station, a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument completed in 1939.
Architectural Resources Group created a steel structure with a panel system that can be easily unbolted and reassembled as needed.
Drawing on historic train sheds for inspiration, the bike hub alternates perforated steel panels with solid standing seam metal panels, echoing the rhythm of the openings and columns in Union Station’s existing breezeway.
The bike hub provides storage for 192 bicycles, an accessible unisex restroom, a water bottle filling station, a bike fix-it station, and a bike retail/repair shop that sells accessories and offers repair services.
The new 2,900-square-foot structure blends in with the colour scheme of the exterior walls of the Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival-style station.
It is located behind the historic north breezeway, on the site of a previously underused parking lot, so that it is not readily visible from the street.
The roof ridge, eaves, and overall length of the structure align with those of the adjacent north breezeway, while the bike hub is set back from the north breezeway to leave room for a new courtyard space that mimics the station’s historic outdoor spaces.
Large skylights and perforated wall panels allow filtered daylight to illuminate the space, decreasing the amount of electricity used for interior lighting. Natural ventilation through perforated wall panels and ceiling fans helps to cool the space.
LED light fixtures and low-flow plumbing fixtures further reduce energy and water usage.
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