{"id":2136,"date":"2011-04-22T03:05:51","date_gmt":"2011-04-22T03:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.justcharlie.com\/?p=2136"},"modified":"2018-06-21T09:48:23","modified_gmt":"2018-06-21T09:48:23","slug":"the-most-iconic-subway-in-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.justcharlie.com\/the-most-iconic-subway-in-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Iconic Subway in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This morning I stumbled upon an article<\/a> applauding the architectural feat which is the Washington DC subway system. Having taken the subway to and from high school and my first few jobs, its aesthetic endowment is something that I had taken for granted. It’s wonderful to see beautiful imagery that does it justice, though. I’ve included some images and text from the article below.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Washington<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Like the monuments and museums of Washington D.C., the\u00a0Washington Metro<\/a> is a landmark of design, history and progress in America.\u00a0 For visitors to The Beltway, a trip on the Washington Metro often inspires as much awe and wonderment as the trip\u2019s destination.\u00a0 What makes The Metro special?\u00a0 What is the history of its design and iconography in the world of transit?\u00a0 TheCoolist visited D.C. for its 25th annual film festival, and like the films, the Washington Metro was the main event.\u00a0 Read on as we explore why The Metro is one of the most iconic subway systems in the modern world.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Washington<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The underground stations of the Washington Metro are a captivating sight, a collection of grand caverns with curved, patterned ceilings and no direct light.\u00a0 There\u2019s an almost alien feel to their design, one that inspires silent appreciation while the trains rumble in the distance.\u00a0 The design of the Washington Metro stations is the work of architect Harry Weese, who crafted these platforms in a contemporary style with a focus on functionality.\u00a0 The high ceilings, the platforms clear of obstacles, the lack of direct light\u2013 these features have as much to do with security as they do visual beauty.\u00a0 There are no dark corners of The Metro, no pillars to hide behind, just a wide open space where crime cannot be concealed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Washington<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With few exceptions, the stations of the Washington Metro are uniform in design.\u00a0 The egg carton fascia of the ceiling is a common element of The Metro.\u00a0 This pattern continues throughout the system, broken only where rail lines meet and tunnels intersect.\u00a0 The recessed lights on either end of the platforms illuminate the ceiling above, giving light to the repeated fingerprint of Weese\u2019s design.\u00a0 The emphasis on security continues here, as those wild walls are out of reach to travelers, preventing access to those who would deface them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One surprising element of the Washington Metro is its depth below the city.\u00a0 Some stations are as deep as 200 feet below street level, which makes the use of escalators impossible.\u00a0 The Forest Glen station features the longest continuous elevator in the United States, which swiftly carries passengers from the platform to the street.\u00a0 Others, like the Dupont Circle station, feature epic escalator caverns which carry passengers deep below the city on rides that take minutes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Washington<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Beyond its beauty, the sheer productivity of the Washington Metro is a stunning achievement.\u00a0 Despite having the 24th largest population in the United States, D.C.\u2019s metro is the second most active in the United States.\u00a0 The Metro carries 800,000 passengers each day, with a record of 1.12 million on the day of Barack Obama\u2019s inauguration.\u00a0 Beyond D.C., the Washington Metro services Maryland and Virginia, stretching far into high-density suburbs and mid-sized cities like Alexandria and Arlington.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MTA in New York City and the \u201cL\u201d in Chicago are historic in their own right, but neither share the visual beauty or the functionality of design of the Washington Metro.\u00a0 It is the most iconic subway system in the United States, and a monumental achievement in modern architecture.\u00a0 Visitors to D.C. are treated with a world class transit system that is not only a means to an end, but a landmark destination in its own right.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Washington<\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning I stumbled upon an article applauding the architectural […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[282],"yoast_head":"\nThe Most Iconic Subway in the US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justcharlie.com\/the-most-iconic-subway-in-the-us\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Most Iconic Subway in the US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This morning I stumbled upon an article applauding the architectural […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.justcharlie.com\/the-most-iconic-subway-in-the-us\/\" \/>\n<meta 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