Métro Station Decor

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This is part of an access corridor inside the Madeleine station on line 14. I include it here to show some of the latest fashions in subway decor.

In this photo you are looking at an area that is at the bottom of a cylindrical access column that allows people to enter and exit the subway station. Despite the bright lighting that makes it look like daylight is shining through the windows, the spot you see here is actually ten stories underground! The plants (all real—there is plenty of light and air to keep them healthy, and they are automatically watered as well) add to the illusion of nearby open air, but in fact the outside world is some 35 metres straight up. The escalator you see here is one of a set that move people up and down through this column—there are more escalators and stairs elsewhere to negotiate in order to get in and out of the station. Still, it only takes a minute or two to get in or out.

As you can see, the station is very brightly lit. Sometimes it’s surprising to go outside after the “daylight” of the station interior only to discover that the sun has set and it is quite dark at street level. The cheerful colors and modern appearance make the station quite pleasant.

Photographed on November 26, 1999.