Originally published 2019-07-19.
Subway stations are not usually go-to spots to see cool architecture, but many cities around the world make commuting more fun by turning their transit hubs into works of art. While the best design is usually seen underground, an extraordinary subway entrance in Frankfurt, Germany brings artistic architecture to a new level.
Situated in the city center, the Bockenheimer Warte subway entrance looks like an old tram car crashing into the concrete sidewalk. This is not the work of the Hulk, but an innovative architect named Zbigniew Peter Pininski. The entrance was completed in 1986, and he was inspired by the work of the surrealist artist René Magritte when creating it. Pininski intended to encourage a positive reaction from locals that were concerned about the extension of the city’s transport network.
The reaction from locals at the time is hard to determine, but undoubtedly, this unique subway entrance would jolt you out of your boring morning commute. Although it looks just like a tram car half-buried in rubble, it’s perfectly safe to climb down the stairs into the main station.
The subway station underwent a major expansion in 2001, but the original entrance still stands. If you’re ever in Frankfurt, it’s worth hopping off the subway to take a look, even if it’s not your stop.
A familiar vehicle appears in the wrong position
The entrance gains its visual force from looking like a tram emerging from or sinking into the pavement. A functional stairway becomes a small narrative before the passenger even goes underground. The contrast between everyday transport and an impossible-looking arrangement is what makes the design memorable.
Look at how the illusion serves the entrance
Consider where the visitor is directed and how the object frames the descent. The architectural idea is more than a decorative vehicle placed nearby; it changes the experience of approaching the station. The dates in the original feature are historical, and a photograph does not establish current access conditions. Its lasting value is the example of an ordinary threshold made distinctive through an imaginative visual twist.
About the entrance
Atlas Obscura describes the entrance as “a tram car half buried in the concrete sidewalk”. It was completed in 1986 together with the station’s B and C levels, and Pininski drew on the Belgian surrealist René Magritte. The entrance stands just north of Goethe University. When the station was greatly expanded in 2001, the tram was left untouched rather than being moved or redesigned.
Sources: Atlas Obscura: Bockenheimer Warte Subway Station Entrance
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