Metro Life

"The buried paths of the Boston subway could not be related to the rest of the environment except where they come up for air, as in crossing the river. The surface entrances of the stations may be strategic nodes in the city, but they are related along invisible conceptual linkages. The subway is a disconnected nether world, and it is intriguing to speculate what means might be used to mesh it into the structure as a whole."
- Kevin Lynch on paths, "Image of the City"

In an intentional effort to get lost and find my way back to the city center, I hopped on the L2 at Placa Catalunya and decided to make my destination Glòries, as on the metro map, it appeared to be a dense intersection, linking many important paths. Little did I know, that it was an oppressive collision of major highways and that the city changed from the charming, historical character of Barrio Gótico to mass produced, concrete commercial sterility. It gave me the chance to find my way back to city center and mark the changes in neighborhoods as well as pedestrian activity, but the experience also started my brain ticking on how subway users could maintain orientation while they are down below...


Could compasses be placed on the walls or ceilings of the trains, the arrow turning with the changes in direction? This might be interesting, but maybe not that helpful as keeping track of a spinning arrow would do little for understanding your place in the city. It could be as simple as mapping the route through a google satellite feed. Fancifully... The route could be tracked with video above ground, and where buildings were cut through, renderings would fill in the details. Imagine visually crashing through Santa Maria del Mar or La Sagrada Familia as you bump along trying to maintain your balance on the train. Or popping in a fancy apartment building off Diagonal as a family sits down to dinner, you see the interior of places you may never enter. The endeavor would be expensive and maybe slightly ridiculous, but with a playful attitude it could be greatly entertaining to metro riders. 


I tried to find projects that tackled this disorientation, but all I could find was a tags outside subway stops in New York, marking the general cardinal direction. If you know of anything else, or have an idea, please share! I'll post some sketches when I have a reasonable way to upload photos...


*photo by heiwa4126