Over the with my love for trains, metros, and public transportation, I have been fortunate to find some of the most beautiful stations in the world. Here are a few of my favorites (with help from tripsavvy): Komsomolskaya Station, Moscow (above) With its crystal chandeliers, marble pillars, and golden mosaics, youd almost expect to waltz through Komsomolskaya Station on their way to the platform. Constructed in 1952, the space was inspired by a wartime speech of Stalin, and the creative duo behind its extravagance (Artist Pavel Korin and architect Alexey Schusev) even won the Stalin prize for their work. Beyond its beauty is a blatant political mission. The station was also designed to promote Soviet propaganda, so youll find sculptures of fallen leaders and scenes depicting moments of Russian history. I was here in 2014, and was so impressed, plus the metro trains run every 6 minutes!
Designed by prolific Chicago architect Harry Weese in the late 1960s, the Metro Center station in Washington, D.C., is one of the most beautiful stops in the U.S. To conceptualize his brutalist design, Weese toured the countrys transit systems and determined that the
capital needed a grand station to reflect its monumental architecture. The result is a series of vaulted cathedral ceilings with coffered blocks and recessed lighting that creates a soft and serene ambiance. Inside, youll also find G. Byron Pecks 1989 mural, Scenes of Washington, which was expanded in 2001 to depict more images from the Capital City. One of the highlights of visiting DC.
St Pancras International isnt a mere airport terminal for trains, its a spectacular Grade 1 listed building that will take your breath away, and a destination in its own right, with shops, restaurants & cafes. Originally opened in 1868, Londons magnificent St Pancras station was beautifully restored and reopened on 14 November 2007 to the London terminal for Eurostar trains to Paris, Brussels and now Amsterdam, taking over from Waterloo which had been Eurostars London terminal since it started in 1994. St Pancras still serves its original purpose as terminus for the Midland main line trains to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham & Sheffield, and it now also hosts domestic trains to and from Kent. Underground platforms provide direct Thameslink trains south to Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton.
Santiago has long been famous for its colorful murals, and one of its most vibrant works can be spotted inside the Universidad de Chile metro station. While waiting for the train, riders standing on the platform can admire a mural spanning over 12,000 square feet. The work by Chilean painter Mario Toral, titled Memoria Visual de una Nacin (Visual Memory of a Nation), in 1999 and depicts the countrys history from its Indigenous roots to the violent Spanish conquest. To bring the magnum opus to fruition, Toral traveled around the county for two years, interviewing historians, poets, and representatives of Indigenous groups, before spending three years mapping out the mural thats now a civic treasure. Despite the beauty of the station, Santiago stands out for the place where we first met the inimitable Barry the V!!!
