The Washington Metro

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This article was originally published in Domus 564 / November 1976

The Washington Metro
On March 1966 the National Capitai Transit Agency (NCTA) of Washington signed the contract with Harry Weese & Associates as Generai Architectural Consultant to provide architectural services for the design of the stations for a 25-mile, 25-station rail rapid transit system in the district of Columbia. The system wiil one day have 98 miles of line and 86 stations.

At the end of March 1976 a first 4,6 mile, 5-station segment of the system was inaugurated. Here we publish some images of the new Metro. First task of Harry Weese was to coordinate the architectural work with De Leuw, Cather & Company, the Generai Engineering Consultant, who had been on board since December 1965. An other task was to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the eighteen more important transit systems around the world to bring b·ack ideas and to make use of the already tested techniques. Each functional element of design — as lighting, graphics, landscaping, furniture, materials, colours and weather protections — has been designed to perfectly match the whole system's configuration.

The architectural element common to all underground stations is the vaulted column-free spaces with waffled walls; for elevated stations concrete gull wings are created singly or in pairs. When you enter the station there is only one way lo go-through the mezzanine and to the trains. The stations use only escalators and no stairs; elevators for the handicapped and for emergencies were added. There will be no vendors or other activities, there are no nooks and crannies. "A transit station should look like a transit station, and nothing else."

For security there will be a station monitor in the centre of the mezzanine with clear view of most of the station and close circuit television cameras. The waffled walls of the vault are always beyond arm's reach against graffiti artists and vandals. The underground stations will be air-conditioned in the summer. The lighting system is mainly indirect; lights are set below the train platforms and the mezzanine. Additional lighting will come from the top of pylons which also identify the station.

The station name is written vertically. Set in the granite (that edges the concrete plattorms) are lights, which will be on all the time but will pulsate as the train approaches. All materials are simple: besides the warm beige concrete, brick flooring tile in the mezzanine, granite and bronze. All the graphics in the system have been carried out in collaboration with Unimark International.