Michigan Central Station - Post-Renovation Interior Detail
Michigan Central Station
Perhaps my most favorite image of Michigan Central Station is this composition taken in the Main Waiting Room on Aug 29, 2023. I truly like the mix of patterns featured in some areas of the ceiling.
Detail image of one of the main chandeliers inside the Main Waiting Room. This exquisite lighting fixture, missing when renovations began, has been meticulously recreated using photos, drawings, and original documentation. It now features modern programmable LED technology concealed inside.
Each one of three recreated main chandeliers in the Main Waiting Room weighs a stunning 2,700 pounds.
23,000 square feet of marble flooring were restored inside the station. If you look closely, you can see where the terrazzo fills in the spots where the benches were once located in the Main Waiting Room. Nearby, there are noticeable worn indents where people used to dangle and place their feet, whether patiently or impatiently.
Still visible how thousands of feet had worn grooves in the marble floor at the foot of the long wooden benches where people had waited.
Fixture mount detail from inside the Main Waiting Room on Feb 12, 2024.
Here's a different angle at one of the three main chandeliers inside the Main Waiting Room.
Detail image of one of the three main chandeliers inside the Main Waiting Room. The weight of the completely recreated chandelier is a stunning 2,700 pounds.
This image, showing details of MCS's stunning ceiling in the Main Waiting Room, is a panorama shot taken with a 50mm Shift lens to avoid distortions associated with wide-angle lenses. The missing ceiling medallions were re-created by making plaster molds of the few that survived. Ford Motor Company's dedication to restoration and preservation can be observed everywhere in the building.
Intricate detail of the ceiling in the Main Waiting Room at Michigan Central Station on Aug 28, 2023.
A total of 300 miles of electrical cable and wiring were installed during renovation.
This image offers a close-up view at the main (north) entrance. Picture taken from the Main Waiting Room in May 2024
Here's a view of the Main Waiting Room from the Mezzanine level on the east side of the building, seen through a beautifully restored historic window.
This picture offers a view at the mezzanine level of the west side of the Main Waiting Room, taken with a telephoto lens from the east side.
This picture provides a detailed view of one of the main arched windows on the north elevation of the Main Waiting Room.
This image offers a telelens view from the Main Waiting Room through the Ticket Office to the beautiful brickwork inside the Main Concourse. Image taken on August 28, 2023.
To make the new stone match the 110-year-old stone, experts mixed several different stone colors, like an artist using a palette, and then used a goose feather to painstakingly recreate the matching grain on the stone.
This image offers some detail of the former ticket counters inside the Ticket Lobby between Main Waiting Room and Main Concourse. Image taken on August 28, 2023.
Decades of water infiltration into the nooks and crannies of the 30-foot stone columns inside the waiting room resulted in significant damage. The repeated freeze-thaw cycle over many years caused severe cracks and chunks to break off. While every effort was made to preserve as much as possible within the depot, a few sections of some columns required replacement due to the extent of the damage.
This image showcases the intricate details of one of the original ticket counters in the Ticket Lobby.
Intricate detail of the vaulted ceiling inside the Arcade at Michigan Central Station on Aug 28, 2023.
This image offers a different view/angle at the former ticket counters inside the Ticket Lobby. I could have wiped the marble counters before taking the image.
An image of a completely replicated clock above the Ticket Office. The clock is 6 feet tall, 8 feet wide and weighs approximately 1,000 pounds. It took almost a year to recreate the clock.
This image offers intricate detail of one of the former ticket counters. Image taken on August 28, 2023.
Detail image of the vaulted ceiling of the aracde inside Michigan Central Station - Aug 28, 2023.
Detail image from inside the former Ticket Lobby - Aug 28, 2023
600 tons of unique limestone were replaced during the restoration of the depot. This image was taken near the Ticket Office in Aug 2023
Peeking through two massive pillars inside the Ticket Lobby in Aug 2023.
Detail image from inside the former Ticket Lobby - Aug 28, 2023
Looking up at the ceiling near the Ticket Lobby.
Another view/angle at some of the massive pillars holding up MCS's tower.
A close-up view at the floor inside the Main Concourse in Aug 2023
View at the door leading from the Main Waiting Room to the Woman's Waiting Room
This image offers a detailed view at the beautiful woodwork inside the Woman’s Waiting Room
A view out of a window from the Woman's Waiting Room on Aug 29, 2023.
This image highlights some of the intricate details of the ceiling inside the Women's Waiting Room.
A close-up view at the hardwood floor inside the Woman's Waiting Room
Here are several different angles showcasing the stunning woodwork in this beautifully restored Men's Waiting Room.
Here are several different angles showcasing the stunning woodwork in the Man's Waiting Room
Here are several different angles showcasing the stunning woodwork in the Man's Waiting Room
Here’s a view at the ornate ceiling in the Men’s Waiting Room. 90,000 square feet of decorative plaster was restored or replicated inside Michigan Central Station during the restoration.
Here’s another view at the ornate ceiling (corner) in the Men’s Waiting Room.
A close-up view at the vaulted ceiling inside the former Restaurant
Here are a few more angles at the beautiful arched ceiling inside the former Restaurant.
A close-up view at the vaulted ceiling inside the former Restaurant
A close-up view at the vaulted ceiling inside the former Restaurant
A total of 8 million bricks were cleaned and tuck-pointed during renovation. Here's a view from the Ticket Lobby at some of the beautiful brickwork inside the Main Concourse
Detail image of the brickwork inside the Main Concourse
An image of a Light fixture inside the former Ticket Lobby with Grand Concourse brickwork in the background
A closer look at the railing inside the staircase on the east side of the building.
Here are some additional shots showcasing the fantastic restoration.
Here are some additional shots showcasing the fantastic restoration.
Here are some additional shots showcasing the fantastic restoration.
This exquisite lighting fixture, missing when renovations began, has been meticulously recreated using photos, drawings, and original documentation. It now features modern programmable LED technology concealed inside.
Lighting fixtures were all re-created from original station plans.
The majestic windows in the Waiting Room, originally designed to be cranked open for ventilation, have been meticulously restored. The intricate mechanisms were recreated using 3D printing technology at the Ford Manufacturing Lab, based on remnants of the original filigree.