In pictures: Paris’ steampunk Arts et Métiers Metro station
Paris’ Metro may be well-known for its art nouveau-influenced stations, with their arching cast-iron entrances decorated with leaves, and their white-tiled platforms. But there’s one station that looks more like it’s stepped out of a Jules Verne science fiction story – Arts et Métiers. Given its name by the arts and craft museum above it, the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, the platform for Metro line 11 here was given its unique look as part of the museum’s 200-year anniversary. Belgian comic artist François Schuiten turned the tunnels into a steampunk-style submarine, taking inspiration from Jules Verne’s Nautilus. The polished copper walls with portholes onto miniature civilisations, huge cogs on the ceiling, carved wooden seats and brass detailing make it a world away from your usual commute.
I have got to see that.
We saw a photo of it a while back and thought the same! Didn’t get time to check out the museum this time but it’s going on the list for the next Paris visit.
LOVEEEE IT
fantastic photos of a metro I have never known about!
Wierd and rather wonderful.
Its actually pretty cool and definitely worth seeing
Ooh – thanks for featuring this. I would never have known about it and now I need to see it.
These are the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. Can I reblog them? With links and credit to you and your blog of course- I want to do a post about the metros. My personal favorite is Abbesses. You are my eyes to Paris! I think you would like these pics I took of all the faces I spotted when I was staying there in February: http://crampmystyle.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/faces-around-paris/
Hey, yes no problem to reblog them. Glad you like them, it’s quite a place and definitely worth a visit someday. Good idea to do a post about the metro here, there are so many interesting details and it looks like you have a good eye for them – the photos of faces you’ve got are really great, I love that sort of hidden art.
That metro station looks great, thanks for showing it.
Amazing!
wonderful! thanks for sharing this!
Wow, it looks amazing. That’s really a station to visit and photograph.