In the heart of Salt Lake City stands a transportation hub rooted in the golden age of American rail travel. Constructed in 1905 and designed by American architect Daniel James Patterson, the Union Pacific Railroad Depot served as a vital waypoint for travelers and goods connecting from East to West. Although rail travel to and from the depot ceased in the 1970s, the iconic building remains a historic landmark that still plays a key role in the city. Now, it is charting a new journey forward as Asher Adams, an Autograph Collection Hotel.
Reviving a Gateway to the Past
Built to facilitate a new rail connection between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, the original depot saved passengers and freight more than 400 miles of travel and quickly became a bustling hub of activity. The depot was Salt Lake City’s gateway to the world, a civic landmark where families, travelers and city life converged. Its Second French Empire sandstone building welcomed visitors in style, anchored on a central pavilion with dramatically oversized openings, terrazzo flooring, stained-glass windows and revered murals depicting the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 and 1847 arrival of Mormon pioneers.
However, as rail travel declined, the station fell dormant. It was designated as a local landmark in 1972 and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 to protect its architectural and cultural heritage. By the late 20th century, the structure was a shadow of its former self: The grand hall served as a public entrance into a mixed-use development established in the late 1990s. Recognizing the significance of the depot to local residents and regional visitors, developer The Athens Group tasked an integrated design team led by architecture and design firm HKS and JNS Architecture + Interior Design (for interiors) to restore the grandeur of the original station building while transforming it into a modern, upscale hotel that could not only attract visitors and residents of Salt Lake City, but also reinvigorate its role as a community hub…