Winston-Salem Union Station: Pilkington Spacia™ Restoration Project

It is no secret that buildings are an integral part of our history and that is why projects like the Winston-Salem Union Station restoration are so important.

In the 1920s, Winston-Salem was one of the largest cities in the state of North Carolina. During this time, tobacco was more popular than ever and Winston-Salem needed a building like this one to bring in traffic. It was a building of charm, grand spaces and convenience for people during this time. When people entered the station, they felt that they had just entered a cosmopolitan city. 

Fellheimer and Wagner were the original architects on this project. Both being from New York City, many New York characteristics were incorporated into the architecture of this station. It was designed to be an elegant and classic public building. Because there were so many windows, it is one of the most significant features of the building and to be able to keep them was critical after 1970 when train traffic fell off. During the time between now and 1970, the condition of the building was going downhill, but it was apparent that the bones of the building were strong.

Winston-Salem is fortunate to have a lot of preservation consultants to bring buildings like this back to modern use, in its historic texture. In these types of restoration projects, it is critical to not replace windows unless it is truly necessary. In this case, they kept the metal windows that were already there. However, over time a lot of the glass had been damaged. This is where the Pilkington brand fit in perfectly. Pilkington Spacia™ Vacuum Insulated Glazing system was exactly what the Winston-Salem Union Station needed.

To learn more about Pilkington Spacia™ and how this product was implemented into this restoration, watch the video below.