Day 1 - A glimpse of the city (11-29-08)

An US-banker known by the name of J.P. Morgan once said: "When you expect things to happen - strangely enough - they do happen." Well, haven't we all at least one time had the indulgence of experiencing the dissapearance of a suitcase? True, tracking down a lost piece of luggage takes time. But who could ever have guessed that destiny would strike us? Either it was a really mean mafia trick or we actually had an Italian diplomat (accidentally) 'taking care of' one of our suitcases - but after only pretty little time the missing item was identified, located, and returned and the journey to downtown D.C. could finally begin.

The group, eager to explore their new environment and showing not even a suggestion of fatigue, headed straight to Union Station, Washington's prestigious main train station. Designed by architect Daniel Burnham, the mighty multi-level complex looks back on a construction time of almost four years, 1903-1907. Burnham, who as a young man was rejected by both Harvard and Yale universities and developed his architectural skills from private tutoring, adhered the French planning tradition of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts ("School of Fine Arts), and therewith set the foundation for the beginning of Washington's classic architecture which is characterized by lots of prestigious materials, like 70 pounds of 22-karat leaf gold on the ceilings and white granite. In addition to that, six Greek statues portray "The Progress of Railroading". Until today, trains from all across the United States arrive and leave on two seperate floors. Being able to maintain such a diverse functional role only works with sufficient funds. The initial construction cost $125 million dollars and another $160 million dollars were needed for reconstruction in 1981. Not only these incredible amounts of money put into the preservation of Union Station point out the still remaining significance of this building. But also taking into account the number of visitors and the sustained service of railway connections simply reflects the station's important symbolic role for the nation's capital.


Today, equipped with a multitude of shops, restaurants, and not less than seven cinemas, the station represents the city's most visited attraction with 20-32 million visitors a year and can has therefore been referred to as a "city within a city". With over 130 retail stores and the possibility of hosting private and official events (such as the Presidential Inaugural Ball), Union Station successfully combines the provision of transportation with entertainment and shopping.

Burnham once confined to one of his assistants he was "not going to stay satisfied with houses; my idea is to work up a big business, to handle big things, deal with big businessmen, and to build up a big organization" - it should turn out to become reality and same is true for the project he was receiving his highest honor for: the appointment by President William Taft as the first chairman of the National Commission on Fine Arts. For his project "Union Station".