About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

L.A. Union Station Team

Project Lead
Jospeh Sembrat – EverGreene Architectural Arts

Owner/Client
Dyana Elam – Morlin Asset Management

Author
Rachel Britain – EverGreene Architectural Arts

Historic Architect
John & Donald Parkinson

Historic Preservation Consultant
Sarah Devan – Architectural Resources Group

Contractor
Colin Fisher – Pankow

Specialty Sub-Contractor(s)
EverGreene Architectural Arts

Los Angeles Union Station

Los Angeles Union Station is a winner for the 2021 Preservation Design Award for Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About Los Angeles Union Station

LAUS serves almost 110,000 passengers a day and is by far the busiest station in the western US and the 12th busiest in the country. The station was suffering from deferred maintenance, an outdated infrastructure, and the need to create a safe and clean environment for the ever-expanding traveling public. Major capital improvement and restoration projects began in 2013 and continue today. Our work encompassed the restoration and conservation of the 11,200 square-foot Grand Waiting Room, the 16,800 square-foot Ticketing Concourse, and the Entry Vestibule. The scope of work for this project was extensive. It included metal, wood, and soapstone restoration, restoration of the waiting room seating and information booth, restoration of the polished concrete passageway floor, and decorative paint and finishes restoration of all three areas to ultimately bring the interior and exterior back to their original brilliance.

Phil Turang
A spacious hall with high, ornate ceilings, large arched windows, and chandeliers. The polished floor reflects the sunlight streaming in, and there are empty ticket counters along one side. The atmosphere is grand and historic.
A spacious hall with high, decorated ceilings, large arched windows, vintage pendant lights, a tiled floor, and wooden ticket booths lined against the wall. Sunlight streams through the windows, creating reflections on the floor.
A spacious, elegant train station hall with a high, ornate ceiling, large windows, chandeliers, and polished floors. People are walking through the terminal, some carrying luggage. The atmosphere is bright and bustling.
Ornate ceiling with a repeating pattern of colorful, geometric floral designs in red, orange, yellow, and blue squares, separated by beige beams. The design creates a symmetrical and decorative appearance.
A grand, arched hall with high ceilings, ornate chandeliers, tall windows, and polished floors; seating and information boards are visible, evoking a classic train station interior.
Los Angeles Union Station at dusk, with its illuminated clock tower, arched entrance, and art deco architecture, framed by tall palm trees and blooming flowers in the foreground.
Colorful, symmetrical ceiling design with geometric patterns in orange, yellow, green, and blue, featuring diamond shapes and decorative floral motifs within rectangular panels.
Decorative ceiling with colorful geometric and floral patterns above a beige stone wall and a white archway, viewed from below.
A geometric wall art piece featuring a symmetrical pattern with yellow, orange, teal, and gray shapes arranged in layered squares and floral motifs. The design is reminiscent of tile or mosaic work.
A spacious, sunlit hall with high ceilings, large arched windows, patterned tile floors, wooden beams, and ornate chandeliers. Wooden benches line one wall, and natural light floods the elegant, historic space.
Large, ornate chandeliers hang from a high, colorful ceiling with exposed beams and detailed patterns. Arched windows with decorative ironwork let in natural light.
A large, ornate chandelier hangs from a colorful, patterned ceiling with geometric designs and star motifs, above a wide arched doorway in an elegant, historic building interior.
A spacious train station with high arched ceilings, large windows, tiled floors, and an information booth in the center. Warm lighting highlights the ornate architectural details and empty seating areas.
Featured Image Courtesy Phil Turang