An aerial view of the new Eurostar passenger terminal at St Pancras Station on April 20, 2007 in London, England.
London's St. Pancras station immediately became an icon when it opened in 1868. Its arched glass ceiling stretched overhead for 243 ft. (74 m), flooding the terminal with sunlight. Religious imagery adorned its neo-Gothic façade, and spires reached for the heavens. But maintaining that splendor proved difficult. Despite surviving the London Blitz and a planned demolition in 1966, the station fell into disrepair and became more synonymous with drug dealers and prostitutes than with imperial grandeur.
Now it is getting a second chance. After a three-year, $1.6 billion renovation, St. Pancras will reopen on Nov. 14 as London's new gateway to the...