Every Metro System Should be this Beautiful

0:00 This is a metro station in Stockholm.

0:02 And this is another one along the same metro line.

0:05 There are dozens of stations here that are creatively decorated.

0:09 Which is why Stockholm refers to their metro

0:12 as “the world’s longest art exhibition”.

0:14 I had seen articles and photos of the Stockholm metro before,

0:17 but I figured these images were photoshopped to make

0:20 them look more interesting than they really are.

0:23 But no, they really do look this cool in person.

0:26 So let me show you what I saw while

0:29 visiting one of the world’s most beautiful metro systems.

0:36 [NJB Intro] A very, very quick announcement:

0:40 I have a new show on Nebula called Day Pass.

0:43 It’s a travel show where I take you around a different city each episode,

0:47 while also riding as much public transit as possible.

0:49 Check out the link in the description

0:51 or stick around ‘til the end to learn more.

0:55 I was in Stockholm for a few days before Christmas.

0:58 So while I was in town, I wanted to explore the city and to see what

1:02 improvements had been made since the last time I was here,

1:06 almost twenty years ago.

1:07 Unfortunately in late December there aren’t a lot of hours of daylight,

1:10 so I didn’t spend much time filming outside.

1:13 Although it was nice to visit when the Christmas lights were out.

1:17 Fortunately, one of the best things to see in Stockholm is underground,

1:21 so I could film the metro at any time of the day.

1:25 And I was seriously impressed.

1:27 I started my travels by following this list

1:30 of “beautiful stations” on the Visit Stockholm website.

1:34 I had seen articles about the art on the Stockholm metro before,

1:37 and there were always about a dozen stations featured,

1:40 so I figured that these were the only nice ones.

1:44 But the reality is that 90% of stations

1:46 on the metro system have some kind of sculptures,

1:50 paintings, light installations, tile mosaics, or other kinds of artwork.

1:55 I am not exactly sure what criteria was

1:58 used to decide on this particular list of stations,

2:00 perhaps some of the artists were more famous than others,

2:03 but I visited over two dozen metro stations while I was in Stockholm and many

2:08 of these were just as beautiful as the ones on the Visit Stockholm website.

2:14 With that being said, about half of the stations on the metro are outdoors

2:18 and these are much less impressive than the underground stations.

2:23 There might be a few interesting sculptures like this one,

2:26 but they’re otherwise pretty utilitarian.

2:28 Unless you consider this highway to be a work of art.

2:34 Dystopian art, maybe?

2:35 The large-scale immersive artwork mostly started in the 1970s,

2:40 so any stations built before that date

2:42 are much less impressive than later stations.

2:45 In practice that means that the most

2:47 interesting stations are along the blue line,

2:50 which first opened in 1975, or any of the newer stations along the green line.

2:56 This also means that there can be a big

2:58 difference between the different platforms at transfer stations.

3:01 For example, I was originally pretty disappointed

3:04 when I first got to T-Centralen station,

3:07 which is on the list of “beautiful stations”.

3:10 The tiles are nice enough, but it’s not a very impressive station.

3:14 The next time I arrived here, I was brought to this platform,

3:17 which has some much nicer tile designs.

3:19 And of course, as soon as I transferred to the blue line

3:23 platform it was immediately obvious why this station was on the list.

3:27 This is probably the most photographed station in Stockholm,

3:30 and it’s the one that immediately comes up

3:33 when you do an image search for “Stockholm metro”.

3:36 Probably because it’s the one that’s directly connected

3:38 to the main train station and commuter rail station.

3:42 These huge blue and white patterns look even larger and more impressive

3:46 in person than they do in photographs

3:48 because they span across the entire station.

3:51 There’s an exit here to the main train station,

3:54 As well as the Stockholm City commuter rail station.

3:58 Another often-photographed station is Stadion,

4:01 with these colourful rainbow paintings covering every wall and ceiling.

4:05 These stations feel very spacious when you’re there in person,

4:09 like you’re in a giant cave.

4:11 And I guess that’s because… you are in a giant cave,

4:14 made of granite and bedrock.

4:16 Many of the stations along the blue and green lines look like this where

4:21 the walls and ceilings were left

4:23 unfinished and then covered in sprayable concrete,

4:26 sometimes called Shotcrete, before being painted.

4:29 Which gives this amazing cavernous look

4:32 and makes every station feel very spacious.

4:35 A great example of this is Solna Centrum,

4:37 which is very often photographed to look like you’re in some kind of evil cave.

4:42 But when you visit in person there are so many

4:45 small details that don’t come through in those viral photos,

4:48 like these silhouettes of little houses.

4:50 And there also lots of splashes of colour throughout,

4:53 As well as this bizarre little diorama of a town with a flying tram.

4:58 The rest of the station has all kind of strange artwork,

5:02 And lots of green trees throughout.

5:04 There are other stations like Näckrosen that are smaller,

5:08 but the open ceilings still make the station feel very spacious.

5:12 I also loved the escalator lights at this station.

5:15 One of the things that pleasantly surprised me was just

5:18 how many small details there were at many of these stations.

5:22 You could pass through here dozens of times and still find new things.

5:27 There’s often a deeper story that the artist

5:29 had in mind when designing each station,

5:31 so if you’re interested in learning more,

5:33 you can book a guided tour of the metro system to get that context.

5:38 But it’s also perfectly reasonable to do as I did:

5:41 buy a day pass and visit stations from a list,

5:44 or really even just ride the metro

5:46 and get out at any station that looks interesting.

5:49 I found it to be trivially easy to travel around

5:52 from station to station because the trains arrive very, very frequently.

5:56 I have filmed a lot of metro stations for this channel,

5:59 and I always prefer to wait for a train to arrive or depart,

6:03 as the video looks much more interesting with some movement.

6:06 In some cities I’ve needed to wait a long time to get the right shot,

6:11 but in Stockholm, trains arrived so frequently that this was never a problem.

6:15 And when I was filming this platform at Odenplan

6:18 the trains were arriving and departing every few minutes,

6:22 so not only was it trivially easy to get a shot with a train in motion,

6:26 I also got several shots with two trains arriving or departing at the same time!

6:31 This platform has a display case with rotating

6:34 artwork displays by recent art school graduates.

6:37 This actually takes up a surprising amount of room on this narrow platform,

6:41 But I guess it’s sandwiched between these creepy stairways

6:44 to nowhere so the space wasn’t really being used anyway.

6:47 This was one of the stations that made the list but not for the metro station,

6:52 But rather as Citybanan– Odenplan,

6:55 the newer commuter rail station connected to the metro station.

6:59 The Citybanan is a commuter rail tunnel under

7:01 the centre of Stockholm that opened in 2017.

7:04 This was built to allow faster commuter train travel through the city,

7:09 and to free up railway capacity on the surface

7:12 so that more intercity trains could operate.

7:14 The platform of Odenplan station has a spacious and modern design But the most

7:20 interesting part is the escalator with these neon

7:23 lights that span across the ceiling.

7:25 The other Citybanan station is Stockholm city,

7:29 Which is connected to the main train station through

7:32 this tunnel with these crazy shapes on the roof.

7:34 A lot of the art in the Stockholm metro is made with tiles,

7:38 and it’s common to see stations built in the 1950s that have tiles on the wall.

7:43 These are very reminiscent of tile designs

7:46 in the older stations in the Toronto subway as well.

7:49 Because tiles were very popular in metro stations built in the 1950s and 60s,

7:55 Which is why tiles like these are often just called “subway tiles.” So

8:00 that tile theme is commonly used in the art in new metro stations in Stockholm.

8:05 Like this wall in Odenplan station.

8:08 Made up of thousands of small square tiles.

8:11 There are similar mosaics in other stations,

8:13 like in this tunnel between the main

8:15 train station and T-Centralen metro station.

8:17 Also, I just need to mention that I love

8:21 the signage in the Stockholm train station This clean

8:24 white and yellow design looks really great And a lot

8:28 of thought was put into making the wayfinding clear,

8:31 so it's very easy to find your way through this station as a result.

8:35 It was also really nice to see the station decorated for Christmas.

8:39 In contrast, Hötorget station, apologies for my bad Swedish pronunciation,

8:44 really leans into the 1950s subway tile aesthetic by re-creating

8:48 the original look of the station as it was built in 1952.

8:52 Including the original typeface and signage that was used at the time.

8:57 These red garbage bins are not original,

9:00 but were redesigned from photos of the original

9:03 station when the station was renovated in 1997.

9:07 They also installed these neon lights on the ceiling which aren’t original,

9:10 but I think they complement the rest of the 1950s station pretty well.

9:15 Another “tile artwork” station is Thorildsplan that uses

9:19 subway tiles like the pixels in pixel art.

9:22 There are characters inspired by Pac-Man,

9:24 Super Mario Brothers, and many other classic video games.

9:28 Isn’t this great?

9:29 I’ve taken so many commutes by public transit in my life,

9:32 and they would’ve been so much more joyful if

9:35 the walls of my station were decorated like this.

9:39 At Rinkeby station, subway tiles were used to create these detailed mosaics,

9:43 that are visible at several locations throughout the station.

9:47 Another station that did the “subway tiles” theme well was Västra skogen,

9:51 where the whole station is filled with all

9:54 kinds of wacky colourful artwork made from subway tiles.

9:57 The colourful tiles contrast well with the grey rock background.

10:01 For what it’s worth,

10:03 this station wasn’t included in the list on the Visit Stockholm website.

10:06 The last few stations that were on the list include Solna Strand.

10:10 This station has sky cubes sunken into the walls, ceiling,

10:13 and platform, and it was designed by Japanese sculptor Takashi Naraha.

10:17 It’s pretty neat but I found this station

10:20 to be much less interesting than many of the others,

10:23 so I assume it made the list mostly

10:25 because it was designed by a famous foreign artist.

10:29 Or maybe I just don’t understand good art.

10:32 Another station that I found underwhelming was Bagarmossen.

10:36 The only interesting features I saw were these coloured glass panels.

10:40 I’m probably missing something here.

10:42 I was able to get a shot with two trains moving at the same time though,

10:48 so that's something.

10:50 I really enjoyed Hallonbergen station though.

10:52 The white walls covered in children’s drawings made the station feel so joyful.

10:57 This just makes it so much nicer to wait for a train here.

11:02 Östermalmstorg station also has wacky line drawings,

11:06 as well as musical phrases on the themes of peace,

11:09 the fight for women’s rights, and environmental protection.

11:11 This art was created by covering the station in a dark layer of stone,

11:16 then a layer of concrete.

11:18 The illustrations were then projected onto the walls and the concrete

11:22 was sand-blasted away to show the dark stone underneath.

11:25 Pretty cool!

11:26 Tekniska Högskolan station has these really interesting formations

11:30 that look like they’re carved into the rock.

11:33 And these bizarre shapes, And crazy paintings.

11:37 And then one station further along the line is Universitetet,

11:41 which is covered in scientific drawings featuring

11:44 the work of the 18th-century Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus,

11:47 as well as excerpts from the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights.

11:53 I liked this, but as a typography nerd,

11:56 using a zero in place of “O” on these tiles was triggering.

12:01 I was also glad to see that artwork wasn’t

12:03 only installed in the busiest stations in the city centre,

12:06 but also at suburban stations.

12:09 Like here at Mörby Centrum, which is at the very end of the red line.

12:14 And it also has very cool lights

12:16 on the escalators Speaking of the end of the line,

12:19 at any stations where trains could leave from more than one platform,

12:22 there are these speakers on the ceiling that make

12:25 a ticking noise on whatever side the train is leaving next.

12:32 And the faster the ticking sound, the sooner the train will depart.

12:39 These were installed to help people with visual impairments,

12:42 but like most accessibility improvements,

12:44 they help everyone else too, as long as you know what to listen for.

12:53 A station I regularly found myself at was Fridhemsplan,

12:57 because it’s the main transfer point between the blue and green lines.

13:01 The green line platforms are yellow, with the shotcrete ceiling and all kinds

13:06 of different artwork displayed along the walls.

13:09 And the transfer to the blue line

13:11 really makes it feel like you’re deep underground.

13:14 There’s also a tunnel to transfer to the bus station,

13:17 along with a departure board.

13:18 I thought at first that this thing on the ceiling

13:21 was a net to catch falling rocks or something,

13:23 But on closer inspection it was part of the artwork as well.

13:27 The blue line platform has a nautical theme,

13:30 With ship models, And this compass on the wall.

13:33 As well as lots of other random displays.

13:37 Bizarre.

13:37 I also enjoyed these childlike paintings along the platform.

13:41 I have no idea why this station didn’t make the list,

13:45 as I found it to be more interesting than most.

13:48 But one station that did make the list,

13:50 and wins the award for the most unhinged artwork,

13:53 is Kungsträdgården, at the south end of the blue line.

13:57 When I stepped off, I thought it looked pretty similar

13:59 to the other stations I had seen along the blue line.

14:02 Just with these candy-cane like stripes across the platforms.

14:05 And the occasional gargoyle head.

14:08 It was also interesting to see that they have what looks like bare natural rock,

14:11 without a concrete covering.

14:13 The more I walked through this station the crazier it got though,

14:17 with bizarre statues and random art.

14:20 Some of these stone pieces are apparently the actual ruins

14:23 of the 17th century royal palace that used to be located nearby,

14:27 but burned down and was demolished in the 1800s.

14:31 Where do you think this door goes?

14:32 I couldn’t manage to get it open.

14:35 I was actually getting off at this station and as I was going up

14:38 the escalator I noticed that this is one

14:40 of the stations with this crazy diagonal elevator.

14:43 There are a few stations that have cool elevators like

14:46 this that run alongside the escalator and they move crazy-fast.

14:49 I like these.

14:50 But what I really appreciated is how the entrance to this station

14:55 was on a car-free street with a bike path running through it.

14:58 Pretty nice!

15:00 Incidentally, I filmed this scene at four in the afternoon

15:03 and it was already this dark, so yeah,

15:06 I’ll be coming back in summer if I want to make

15:09 a video about any of the stuff on the surface.

15:11 Anybody who watches this channel regularly knows that I really really hate it

15:16 when a metro exit drops you off at the side of a busy road.

15:20 The area around a rapid transit stop is some

15:22 of the most valuable land in the entire city,

15:26 so it shouldn’t be wasted on car infrastructure.

15:29 So I was very happy to see that Stockholm does a pretty good

15:33 job of ensuring that the exits to their metro system are pedestrian friendly.

15:37 With many exits bringing metro riders

15:39 directly to pedestrianised or low-car streets.

15:42 And this was the case even at many of the suburban stations visited,

15:47 such as here at Tensta.

15:49 This station brings metro riders directly to a pedestrianised square,

15:53 even though it's a very suburban station.

15:57 Tensta also had some great artwork.

15:59 The artist clearly leaned into the “cave” idea

16:02 and put neolithic-inspired cave drawings all over the walls.

16:07 And what looks like somebody’s school notes with doodles on it.

16:10 I can relate.

16:12 It is just so wonderful to ride a transit system where so much care

16:18 and thought has been put into making

16:20 the experience pleasant and enjoyable for transit riders.

16:23 Obviously it helps that the Stockholm metro is quite extensive,

16:27 And that the trains arrive with regular frequency,

16:30 But there’s something to be said about travelling

16:33 through beautiful places as you ride the metro.

16:37 There’s also value in bringing art to the general public,

16:40 to people who may never consider going to an art gallery,

16:43 but who will ride the metro on a regular basis.

16:47 One of the unexpected benefits of station artwork

16:50 is that each station gets its own identity,

16:53 and that changes the way you think about it and remember it.

16:57 There is evidence to suggest that these unique

16:59 stations make the transit system easier to navigate,

17:02 as people can more easily build a mental

17:04 map of where they are and where they’re going,

17:07 compared to a metro system where all stations look essentially the same.

17:12 It really does feel different riding the metro in Stockholm,

17:15 compared to most other cities,

17:17 but you might be wondering about the cost of all this.

17:20 How can Stockholm afford to make their metro system so

17:23 beautiful while other cities are struggling to build even ugly,

17:27 utilitarian transit?

17:28 Well, I did some research on that, and it’s actually really interesting,

17:32 as it starts to show the absurdity of the typical lowest-bidder

17:36 public transit mentality that is prevalent in so many other cities.

17:41 For example, I read that the “unfinished” look of a station like this actually

17:44 cost the government less than if they

17:47 had produced a typical “finished” metro station instead,

17:50 because those finishings are more expensive than the art.

17:54 Though apparently this “raw” design does have

17:56 higher maintenance costs for things like moisture control.

17:59 And the transit operator needs to pay to maintain the art,

18:02 which varies each year depending on what work needs to be done,

18:05 but is typically between 10-15 million Swedish kroner annually,

18:09 or about 1 to 1.5 million euros per year.

18:12 But the metro operator has also said

18:15 that the artwork discourages vandalism and graffiti,

18:17 which is a major cost for public transit operators,

18:21 and while it doesn't totally offset the cost of the art,

18:24 it does reduce what they would pay in overall maintenance.

18:28 Of course, another reason why Stockholm

18:30 can afford to provide these beautiful stations is because their metro and rail

18:34 construction costs have been historically quite low,

18:37 especially compared to other European cities.

18:40 A big part of the reason for that is

18:42 that Stockholm has relied heavily on experts within the public sector,

18:46 instead of farming everything out

18:47 to private sector contractors and public-private partnerships.

18:51 Unfortunately neoliberal politicians within

18:53 the Swedish government have been pushing

18:55 to reduce the role of the government in future projects,

18:58 which will likely have the same effect that it has had in other countries:

19:02 funneling lots of tax dollars into private sector profits,

19:05 instead of providing more value to the public.

19:08 I’ll put a link to this report in the description if you’d like to learn more.

19:13 Regardless of costs though, this artwork has real benefits.

19:16 It makes it clear to everyone that the government cares about public transit,

19:20 and treats public transit riders like first-class citizens.

19:24 And when that happens, people are more likely to want to take public transit.

19:29 They will also have a sense of civic pride about their transit system,

19:33 and will want it to be successful.

19:35 And that can only be a good thing,

19:38 especially for public support for future transit projects.

19:41 Stockholm is currently constructing 18 new stations,

19:44 the largest expansion to the metro system in 50 years.

19:49 And, of course, these new stations will have new artwork as well.

19:52 When constructing new stations,

19:54 the Stockholm region budgets about 1% of the total

19:57 cost of the station to go to artwork,

19:59 which is expected to work out to about 10 million kroner,

20:02 or about 1 million Euro per station.

20:05 Honestly, given the societal benefits alone, that seems like a great deal.

20:10 And it makes for a metro system that feels

20:13 inviting and one that people actually want to use.

20:16 Which should be the ultimate goal of any transit system.

20:20 I know whenever I visit a new city,

20:22 one of the first things I like to do is explore the transit system.

20:26 Riding public transit gives you an authentic view of the city,

20:30 and helps you better understand what life is like for the people who live there.

20:34 If you feel the same, and let’s face it,

20:36 if you’ve made it this far through the video you almost certainly do,

20:38 then let me tell you about my new Nebula show, Day Pass.

20:42 Day Pass is a travel show where I take you

20:45 around a city to see interesting urbanist and cultural locations,

20:48 while also riding as much public transit as possible.

20:51 The first episode is available right now on Nebula,

20:55 and I start the series in the most suitable place possible:

20:59 Nantes, in France, the city that had the world’s first public transit route.

21:05 You can watch the first episode of Day Pass right now

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