Turning six Paris Metro stations into captivating spectacles

The grand expansion of the Paris Metro intertwines beauty and theatricality with its existing allure.

Paris’s Metro system is renowned for its minimalist stations, characterized by white subterranean vaults and iconic entrances crafted by Hector Guimard. However, the city’s grandeur emerges in sites like the Eiffel Tower and Pompidou Centre, embracing flamboyance and theatricality. This spirit will be encapsulated in the Grand Paris Express initiative, set to double the Metro’s extent by 2030. Here’s a glimpse into some remarkable locations within the existing network.

One of these notable stops is the Cité station on Line 4. Constructing railway bridges through central Paris wasn’t feasible for Line 4, leading to the ingenious use of waterproofed tanks known as caissons for passing beneath the river. At the Cité station, these caissons create a distorted version of the typical Métro vault, illuminated by vintage-style white globes. Interestingly, one of the vertical caissons remains unused, while the other resembles a large, riveted metal bucket with rust-stained sides. The staircases ascend in an Escher-like crisscrossing manner toward the ticket hall, offering an experience akin to the city’s historic buildings where climbing stairs is a norm. Nearby, the Ha Noi 1988 restaurant, adorned with flowers and a terrace, presents delightful Vietnamese cuisine, with Pho du Chef being a highly recommended dish.

The Arts et Métiers station on Line 11 epitomizes Metro grandeur with its immersive design. Adorned with riveted copper panels and showcasing floating models of machines, the vault here resembles the inside of Captain Nemo’s submarine, creating a dreamy ambiance. This unique design commemorates the museum served by the station, crafted in 1994 to celebrate its bicentenary. Adjacent to the station lies a museum of technology with aesthetic allure akin to an art gallery, including burnished narrow-gauge tramlines on the wooden floors within the steam engine section.

Moving along to Mirabeau on Line 10, it showcases a notable feature of the Metro system: track loops serving multiple stations. Passengers at Mirabeau can board trains exiting the loop heading back toward the city center. The captivating view from the single platform allows observing trains arriving from town, climbing as they emerge from beneath the river. Trains head to the loop with impressive speed, producing sparks under their undersides akin to fireflies.

The Gare d’Austerlitz station on Line 5 hosts the most thrilling moment of the line, featuring a breathtaking river crossing between the Left and Right Banks. The trains emerge from underground into the attic of Gare d’Austerlitz and traverse the Viaduc d’Austerlitz, offering an exhilarating downhill ride toward Quai de la Rapée.

Bir-Hakeim on Line 6 presents a magnificent series of elevated stations with captivating views of the Eiffel Tower. This station grants a moment to admire the beautiful bridge just crossed, resembling an avenue of iron trees, especially enchanting when lit at night.

Line 14, inaugurated in 1998, stands as a futuristic showcase within the Metro network. The Gare de Lyon station boasts a stern concrete hall and an alleged “tropical garden” watered by automated “thunderstorms.” Descending the sparkling escalator here leads to a futuristic realm, where passengers encounter a vast concrete space ahead and a glass-screened tropical garden to the right. Nearby, the opulent Train Bleu restaurant, accessed via a grand staircase from the Gare de Lyon concourse, boasts a gilded interior depicting Riviera scenes, offering a luxurious experience beyond the main buffet area.

These stations capture the essence of Paris’s Metro system, blending minimalism with grandeur and creating unforgettable experiences for commuters and tourists alike.