10 Most Beautifully Designed Subway Stations In The World

Subways are known for rats, garbage, noise, and filth, not for their interior design. There are, however, a few subway stations around the world that defy convention, serving as excellent examples of the beautiful architecture and unique design that can be created in underground spaces. When you consider the particular challenges of creating comfortable spaces beneath the surface of a city, the interiors achieved in some of these underground stations become all the more impressive. From the classically beautiful to the downright bizarre, here are ten of the world’s most interesting metro stations and subway systems.

10 Most Beautiful Subways In The World

Washington, D.C: Union Station

In comparison to the majority of America’s utilitarian subways, this beauty stands out like a sore thumb, albeit a very pretty sore thumb. The history of this station is interesting because it was planned while Kennedy was president, and it is believed that the station represented the dignity of the government rather than the cheapest possible solution. What we now have is a beautifully crafted metro station inspired by great subways around the world. The vaulted cathedral ceilings, coffered blocks, and elegant up-lighting create a sense of calm and tranquillity. Keep an eye out for the lights on the platform beginning to throb whenever a train approaches.

Saint Petersburg, Russia: Avtovo Station

Tourists frequently overlook Avtovo, an industrial region. On the outside, it appears to be a small museum, but on the inside, it is filled with incredible beauty. The platform features ornate glass pillars and a mosaic commemorating the Leningrad Blockade and the over one million people who died during the city’s 87-day siege by Nazi forces during WWII. The walls are white marble, and the domed roof gives the impression that you are in an elegant ballroom rather than a metro station. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling and provide soft lighting, a welcome change from the harsh underground lighting. It is actually illegal to take photos in a Russian subway station, so remember to just look with your eyes.

Moscow: Komsomolskaya Station

It resembles a ballroom rather than a metro station and was inspired by Stalin’s wartime speech. Its marble pillars and mosaics remain absolutely stunning. Chandeliers are the preferred lighting, and there are eight ceiling mosaics throughout the sunny yellow paint job. This massive hall supported by columns has high ceilings, making it feel more like a museum than a metro station; even the banisters are intricately designed and beautiful. To fully appreciate the works of art throughout the station, make sure to time your visit accordingly; weekdays in the summer tend to be the least crowded times.

Naples, Italy: University Station

This subway station was transformed into the colorful, fun station it is today by New York designer Karim Rashid. The escalators, walls, and ceilings are all covered in sculptures and graphic patterns. The curved walls are painted in bright pink and yellow, and the floors are a rainbow kaleidoscope. Behind the frosted glass, rolling LED programming displays universally recognized words, while transformational digital artwork takes over the platform stairwells. Even the seating has been thought about and is designed to look more like a landscape than furniture. If you’ve ever wanted to get lost in a sea of colors and abstract art, this ultramodern avant-garde subway station is the place to go.

Paris, France: Arts et Metiers Station

The station’s entrances are symbols of elegant public architecture, but what lies beneath truly astounds visitors. Walking down into this station is like entering an old-fashioned brass submarine. Riveted copper walls and massive gears suspended from the ceiling set the tone. Picture boxes depicting 19th-century navigation are installed in port holes along the walls. Sleep silver and copper chairs are seamlessly integrated into the scene, as are garbage cans. The station was created by Belgian comic artist Francois Schuiten and was based on Jules Verne’s fiction works. Don’t miss the museum above the metro station, which is filled with inventions and oddities from the 18th and 19th centuries.

New York City: City Hall Station

The city hall station is normally closed to the public, but visitors can gain access by participating in a tour offered by the New York Transit Museum. Due to space constraints, this station was built primarily as a ceremonial terminal for local government dignitaries and only operated for forty years, from 1904 to 1945. Visitors will find arched ceilings with Guastavino tiles, ornate skylights, and the city’s grandest subway architecture. If you don’t want to take a tour but still want to see this amazing piece of history, take the 6 train after it stops at the Brooklyn Bridge. Riders can catch a glimpse of this beautiful station, lost in time, as the train makes its turnaround to loop back.

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Metro

With its gold-plated walls, massive marble walkways, and space-age designs, it is set to be the most beautiful metro station in the world. Zaha Hadid, one of the most well-known architects, is in charge of the design of this station. Saudi King Abdullah is funding the station and expects it to be operational by 2019. The stations will be powered by renewable energy, and the façade will be designed to let light in while keeping out the harsh desert sun. There will be no sweating in this metro, as it will be fully air-conditioned. The overall shape is intended to resemble the country’s sand dunes, and it will include raised elevators as well as other beautiful finishes.

Dubai, U.A.E.: Khalid Bin Waleed Station

In a city where the average high temperature in August is more than 100 degrees, you might want to escape the heat by going to the spotless and air-conditioned metro station. This isn’t your typical metro station; rather, it’s more of a museum of Dubai’s history. This station’s theme is water, and it depicts Dubai’s history of fishing and pearl diving. The ceilings are adorned with fiber optic chandeliers that resemble breathtaking jellyfish, the tiled floors are done in brilliant blues and gold, and the blue mood lighting above makes this station absolutely magnificent. The station has three floors and, like the rest of the city, exudes luxury and cleanliness.

Stockholm, Sweden: T-Centralen Station

The Stockholm subway is considered the world’s largest art gallery, with nearly all of the stations resembling a gallery or museum. In fact, these are so impressive that many people miss their trains while admiring the artwork. More than 140 artists are represented across 90 of the station’s exhibits, which include both permanent and temporary exhibits. The T-Centralen station, where all three stations meet, is the highlight of this underground system. The blue line section was painted in 1970, and large blue and white lines adorn the walls and ceilings, as well as rustic arches and columns with mosaics. It makes no difference which station you visit here; they are all ultimately beautiful and fabulous.

Portugal, Lisbon Metro

Lisbon’s entire metro system is one of the world’s largest underground art galleries. There are more than 50 stations, each with its own unique design that tells the story of the neighborhood or the heritage of Portugal. Many of them make use of traditional Portuguese tiles, which have been used to decorate church and palace interiors since the 16th century. The Red Line features the vast Olaias and the bright Bela Vista. The most famous stations on the Blue Line are Parque, which honors explorers, and Jardim Zoologico, which honors the animals from the zoo outside the station.

Subway, metro, MRT, underground: whatever you want to call it, subterranean stations are a perfect canvas for innovative art, stunning architecture, and other forms of cultural expression. Like this post? Don’t forget to check out our other short stories in our Quick Read section