Let us take a moment and give thanks to those cities (and structures and businesses) that take something boring and make is Awesome.So, thank you, Stockholm, for designing The World’s Most Awesome Subway Stations. Not only is your subway prompt, clean, and easy to navigate, it’s nigh-on magical. See?
What other mundane-made-magical spaces do you love? I remember loving the bathrooms at the Sydney Opera House and who doesn’t love those piano stairs?
links to photo sources embedded in photos
The piano stairs are the best lol. Chris always tells me about how beautiful the metro stations are in Moscow.
I love Westminster tube station just because of how futuristic it kind of looks. (They have specially trained cleaners to abseil in! It's looks like a whole bunch of fun!
nice! i'm actually from stockholm but i've never really appreciated the subway art enough, these are the most beautiful pictures i've seen of them!
Looking at these and feeling quite sentimental. I grew up in Stockholm (live in the UK) and there very few days I didn't use the subway. I'm glad it wasn't the drab experience it so easily could have been without the creative genius of the artists. I've been at all of the stops featured. Great post! Thank you for sharing.
SO gorgeous! Why don't we see more spaces like this? Such a simple way to beautify the world around us.
Lisa,
Stockholm is SUCH a great city! It's fast becoming one of my favorites – right up these with Berlin! When I walked down into central station for the first time and it started getting all 'cave-y' I was like "Wait. What? Is this for real? IS EVERYTHING MAGICAL HERE?!" 😉
Those are amazing! I love when artists make mundane areas gorgeous. I think Steve Powers does the same thing with his mural art in Philadelphia. http://www.aloveletterforyou.com/?page_id=198
SO cool when people take something that can be everyday and usual and make it awesome. Really wakes people up. 🙂
the subway stations in st petersburg are MAGICAL. every one is completely different and absolutely beautiful.
and I know it was about more than just beautifying the mundane, the street artist/photographer JR's project on the favela's in rio de janiero, is both mindblowing and heart-wrenching. phone won't let me paste a link, but if you search 'jr favela eyes' it should come up 🙂
Oh my gosh these are so beautiful! They must make a morning commute so much more bearable! xoxo
ah! this just made me have so much hope in the world 🙂 i love people.
That is SO incredible! I wish we insisted on this same standard of beauty for all of our buildings.
I must confess that the most beautiful memory of my trip in London – 2010 – is the Baker's street tube station…it is one of the first – or the very First one of the line perhaps – all made of wood and beautiful like a cathedral (yes i like them too)… 🙂
Paola
Wow! I can honestly say that I've never been in a subway station like these! They truly do seem like a place where magic could happen…
I agree with Shannon – why can't all of our buildings be so intriguing and gorgeous?!
I love trains enough as it is but WOW! These are stunning! They would definitely make commuting a more enjoyable experience!
What a gorgeous place to wait for your train- Makes me want to go to stockholm.
And I have to add the toilets designed by Hundertwasser in Kawakawa, NZ
http://www.pbase.com/philinnz/kawakawa_toilets
stunning, strange and beautiful!