Metro Stations as a Platform for Communication

Metro station Hôtel de Ville in Paris

Metro stations are more than just traffic hubs at which people buy a ticket and run for their train. Metro stations are hubs where people come together, usually have a bit of time while witing and can be reached through any kind of advertisement.

Let’s think about alternatives to the well-known, oversized posters that advertise all kinds of products and services. What about transforming metro stations with their enormous dimensions to a platform of arts, of history, of culture, of sharing local characteristics or even of temporary exhibitions?

One great example for this is the metro station “Hôtel de Ville” in Paris, which gives travelers extensive insights in the exhibition “Amazonia” by Sebastião Salgado – at the price of a metro ticket. For the climate, this is a win-win-situation: Not only is an exhibition promoted which is depicting the preciousness of nature in all its beauty, raising awareness about the destruction of a cosmos we usually aren’t in contact with in our everyday business, but even more the ride with the metro suddenly gets more attractive: people decide to spend more time in the station to have a look at the photographs and thus more people are drawn to use public transportation, which is one of the primary goals of the cities.

Excerpt of Sebastião Salgado’s “Amazonia” showcased in the metro in Paris

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