Many of the stops in the Loop are integrated with and accessible from each other(Clark/Lake, Jackson, and the El stop at the Library to name a few), so it only makes sense that today's entry talks about another connected station. In the northern section of the Loop lies the State/Lake elevated stop, which is connected via a free transfer to the Lake stop on the Red Line.
Even though the first elevated service in Chicago originated with the Roosevelt station in 1892, it was implemented in a piecemeal fashion, with various companies opening different stations at various times. On September 22, 1895, the Union Elevated Railroad was inaugurated, which included a stop at State/Lake(as well as Clark/Lake). There were a number of different architectural motifs for each of the different Loop stations, varying from Classical Revival elements, to even some Asian influences. However, many of the stations were renovated in 1913. Even though many of the waiting rooms were replaced, most of the canopies and other pieces were preserved. Over the next few decades, things remained the same, up until the late 50s when the CTA revised their transfer policies in anticipation of new service patterns. The 1960s saw the installation of the first escalator to come to the CTA, being put in at State/Lake in 1966. The '90s saw the station participating in the changeover to an automated fare card system. Unlike the Quincy station, State/Lake has undergone many changes over the years, therefore only certain parts of the State/Lake station feature the vintage architecture of its original intent. What it is left with are its historic railings and canopies, which is ironic given its location near the historic Chicago Theater.
The other half of the equation is of course, the Lake St. Red Line station. This station opened on October 17, 1943 along with the rest of the State St. Subway. All of the amenities(concrete floors, glass-walled fare booths, art-deco touches, and even soundproof phone booths), that were in the other stations also found their way into Lake. The State Street Subway also featured the longest subway platform in the world, stretching 3,500 feet. The Lake station's mezzanine area has always been an ideal location for transfers in the CTA system, but there weren't any physical connections between the subway and the elevated. So, the CTA came up with the idea of "walking transfers", where passengers would disembark one train, acquire a paper transfer ticket, and present that at the second station so as to get in without paying another fare. Not only have transit cards rendered this system obsolete, but now there are unified subway and elevated stations(i.e. Roosevelt and Clark/Lake).
In 1982, the Mayor announced an extensive renovation of all the stations on the State Street Subway, at which point the turnstiles, lighting system, flooring, and columns were to be replaced. Additionally, new signs and maps were to have been added. Unfortunately, this renovation was only completed at the Washington station. In 2004, the Lake station was renovated, with the focal point of the work being the expansion of the station's mezzanine by 1,500 feet, which allowed for the installation of more turnstiles. Other additions included another exit stairway and a new escalator. Work on the platform included replacement of the floors, signs, and acoustic panels, as well as decorative tile work depicting the letter "L" on the walls(much like what was done with the Jackson platform). While the station remained open during the renovation, but only one entrance was available from August of 2004 through September of 2005. The Lake station is connected via the mezzanine to the Chicago Pedway, but also to two of the city's premier shopping destinations. Block 37 on one side, and Marshall Field's on the other. Combine that with its location near the Chicago and Oriental Theaters, as well as its proximity to the State/Randolph Walgreens, and the State/Lake complex is certainly in the heart of the city.
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