FreshBump

Some train stations only serve to get you places, but others take you places. From London to New York City to St. Petersburg, here is a snapshot of train terminals that jumped the tracks into extraordinary design territory. Some were ornate feats of marble worship, paying homage to days of yore when grand meant towering spires and elaborate arches. Other metro stops look like they came out of storybooks, complete with little details so riveting it makes the trains barreling through them, beside the point. So stop and have a look around. There’s more to see in the world’s most beautiful and bustling cities than just what’s above ground.

St. Pancras International, London
Two years ago, the London station located in Central London got an 800-million pound renovation and was renamed St. Pancras International, a new hub that connects Eurostar trains to continental Europe. A competition to choose a designer was held in 1865, and was eventually won by George Gilbert Scott, a prominent English architect. His plans for a Gothic revival motif were the most capital-intensive of all the entries, but satisfied the board’s desire to have the grandest station in the capital. St. Pancras’ well-known and aptly named “Meeting Place” features a 20-tonne, 9-metre tall bronze statue of a couple reuniting. A five-star hotel is currently under construction in the station’s spires.

Grand Central Terminal, New York City
Who knows how many epic romances found their beginnings and endings at this fairytaled station, but with the estimated 500,000 visitors it sees daily, you know it’s bound to happen. With its old-world classic good looks and “secret” door (it opens to a concealed spiral staircase that leads to the lower level information booth), the station is a haven for lovers in transit. The four-faced clock atop the information booth is made from opal and has been estimated to be worth between $10 million and $20 million by Sotheby’s and Christie’s. On the outside, the clock in front of the Grand Central facade on 42nd Street is the world’s largest collection of Tiffany glass. Perhaps it’s because of this grandeur that so many people forget their coats. Up to 2,000 a year are reported lost.

Union Station, Los Angeles
The station, which opened in 1939, features an opulent waiting room with walls covered in travertine marble and acoustical tile and floors of terracotta and inlaid marble. The station itself is an amalgamation of styles including Dutch Colonial Revival, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne style. The exterior is a plain white face with a tower clock attached and has made its way to the big screen in movies like Speed, Pearl Harbour, Blade Runner, The Itlalian Job and the television series 24.

Kievskaya Station, Moscow
Mosaic artwork and white marble arches make Kievskaya Station unique, so too does the portrait of Lenin at the end of the platform. Each of Moscow’s stations is graced with artwork depicting different themes — Kievskaya Station’s motif is Ukranian agriculture and pride. We hear that a short walk from the station is top notch borsht Yolki Polki, a chain restaurant known for cheap Russian eats.

Canary Wharf Station, London
Every year, more than 40 million passengers pass through Canary Wharf Station’s vaulted glass canopies, giving way to more than 200 shops, a waterside bar and restaurants. On the roof is a landscaped public park replete with grass, trees, fountains and walking paths. The station’s futuristic look made it the perfect backdrop for scenes in the zombie flick, 28 Days Later.

Arts et Metiers, Paris
This Paris metro station was designed by Belgian comic artist Francois Schuiten in 1994 to commemorate the bicentenary of the nearby Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers. Schuiten was inspired by Jules Verne’s science fiction novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The walls are lined in copper and decorated with riveted copper plates. When passengers look above, a series of cogwheels line the station’s ceiling.

Capitol South Metro, Washington, D.C.
With its soaring curved ceiling with an elegant recessed square pattern, Capitol South station has all the grandeur to be expected from being one of the busiest stations in the nation’s capital. It’s the same stop where thousands of passengers disembarked to witness Barack Obama’s Inauguration on the steps of the U.S. Capitol last month.

Museum Station, Toronto
The station was unveiled last April after a $5-million makeover that bestowed upon the subway stop, pillars made of foam, cay and cement. The columns are based on pieces from collections in the Royal Ontario Museum and Gardiner Museum, including five themed pillars that represent First Nations, Ancient Egypt, Mexico’s Toltec Culture, China, and Ancient Greece.

Charlevoix Station, Montreal
Going up the escalator at Charlevoix Station is more like floating up to heaven alongside stained glass windows than exiting onto rue Centre. Designed by Mario Merola and Pierre Osterrath, the backlit stained glass is a colorful explosion of bright reds, vibrant yellows and rich greens, imbuing the station with warm colors. With the station’s lowest platform below sea level, the extra brightness is a welcome addition.

Avtovo Station, St. Petersburg
Looking more like a grand hall than a metro station, the entrance to the Avtovo Station is a Neoclassical structure with a domed ceiling. Inside, the station has several columns wrapped in ornamental glass while the rest are fashioned from white marble. The stone pillars were only meant to be a temporary stand-in for the more ornate glass columns, but they’ve remained since the station opened in 1955. Voronetskiy and A.K. Sokolov dedicated to the theme of the Leningrad Blockade during the Great Patriotic War.

Written and compiled by Maria Cootauco

Photo Credits:

St Pancras – Sangwine/Wikipedia
Grand Central – Leegillen/Wikipedia
Kievskaya – Captain Chaos/Flickr
Canary Wharf – Janet Hall
Artsetmetiers – Max Sauter
Museum Station – Miles Storey
Charlevoix – Kathy McDevitt