Underground metro stations are associated with rats, garbage, noise and filth, not their interior design. However, there are a few subway stations in the world that go against the grain, standing out as excellent examples of the beautiful architecture and unique design that can be created in underground spaces.

The interiors achieved in some of these underground stations become all the more impressive when you consider the particular challenges to creating comfortable spaces below the surface of a city. The architects must keep track of the structural integrity of the walls, air circulation, excessive moisture, and a million other concerns. Their maintenance is another difficulty entirely – one that transit organizations often have difficulty with.

In this list, you'll not only find the most famous, elegant stations of Moscow subway and New York subway, but also some very modern ones in Madrid and Oslo metro. Vote for your favorite stations and, if there's a beautiful metro station in your city that should be on this list, we'd love to see it!

#1

Toledo Metro Station, Naples, Italy

Toledo Metro Station, Naples, Italy

Toledo Metro Station, Naples, Italy Toledo Metro Station, Naples, Italy

Mario Laporta Report

#2

Kievskaya, Mayakovskaya And Park Pobedy Stations, Moscow, Russia

Kievskaya, Mayakovskaya And Park Pobedy Stations, Moscow, Russia

Kievskaya, Mayakovskaya And Park Pobedy Stations, Moscow, Russia

imgur Report

VictoriaPerciante
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Russians metro stations are THE BEST I ever saw

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#3

Rådhuset Station, Stockholm, Sweden

Rådhuset Station, Stockholm, Sweden

Alexander Dragunov Report

LisaUlfves
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice, but the top one is Rådhuset station. Not Solna.

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#4

Avtovo Metro Station, St. Petersburg, Russia

Avtovo Metro Station, St. Petersburg, Russia

Avtovo Metro Station, St. Petersburg, Russia Avtovo Metro Station, St. Petersburg, Russia

asergeev.com Report

#5

Tilework In Szent Gellért Square, Budapest, Hungary

Tilework In Szent Gellért Square, Budapest, Hungary

acdn.architizer.com Report

DABlumenhagenLoiselle
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is beautiful. One of my biggest complaints about most metro stations is that they are so dark. This one is nice and bright.

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#6

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai, China

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai, China

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai, China Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai, China

mic-ro.com Report

#7

University Of Naples Subway Station, Italy

University Of Naples Subway Station, Italy

University Of Naples Subway Station, Italy University Of Naples Subway Station, Italy

dezeen.com Report

#8

Arts Et Métiers Station, Paris, France

Arts Et Métiers Station, Paris, France

Arts Et Métiers Station, Paris, France

RG1033 Report

HipChick
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have been in this station and the picture doesn't do it justice. Gorgeous.

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#9

Formosa Boulevard Station, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Formosa Boulevard Station, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Formosa Boulevard Station, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Formosa Boulevard Station, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

getintravel.com Report

FabioNodari
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live just 5 minutes from this amazing station... http://www.fabionodariphoto.com/wrp/formosa-boulevard-metro-piu-spettacolare-del-mondo

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#10

Kungstradgarden Metro Station, Stokholm, Sweden

Kungstradgarden Metro Station, Stokholm, Sweden

Kungstradgarden Metro Station, Stokholm, Sweden

A. Dragunov Report

МладенВеликов
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The floor on the second picture looks like Bulgarian flag. :)

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#11

City Hall Station, New York

City Hall Station, New York

City Hall Station, New York

nycsubway.org Report

#12

T-Centralen Station, Stockholm, Sweden

T-Centralen Station, Stockholm, Sweden

T-Centralen Station, Stockholm, Sweden

A. Dragunov Report

#13

Olaias Station, Lisbon, Portugal

Olaias Station, Lisbon, Portugal

Olaias Station, Lisbon, Portugal

Miguel Riopa Report

José Valente
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't get me wrong, in combining kitsch, colour and brutalist post modernism in architecture (I'm told many people love the style and this is obviously not a purist example of it) this is by no means the worse (and it looks better than you'd guess from the pics if you haven't been there) you could have chosen but there much more beautiful (Parque), original(Campo Pequeno) and yes, even Poetic stations (Cidade Universitária). All have works of art. And if you are going to go for impressive post-modernism with better art you could always plump for Oriente as apart from some fairly awesome panels you'll just have a two (or three) level climb and you are in Gare do Oriente one of the most beautiful multimodal (but really mainly railway) station on the continent.

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#14

Stadion Station, Stockholm, Sweden

Stadion Station, Stockholm, Sweden

Stadion Station, Stockholm, Sweden

Jonathan Nackstrand Report

MayaAb
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stockholm has the most beautiful stations!! Great architecture.. Magnifique!!

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#15

Slavyansky Bulvar Station, Moscow, Russia

Slavyansky Bulvar Station, Moscow, Russia

Slavyansky Bulvar Station, Moscow, Russia

fotogaleri.com Report

#16

Stockholm, "the Water Lily Station" - Näckrosen

Stockholm, "the Water Lily Station" - Näckrosen

fnurra.wordpress.com Report

#17

Atocha, Madrid, Spain

Atocha, Madrid, Spain

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Fernandito
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is both, train and metro station. http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/60000/informacion_000070.shtml.

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#18

Georg-Brauchle-Ring, Marienplatz and Candidplatz U-Bahn Stations, Munich, Germany

Georg-Brauchle-Ring, Marienplatz and Candidplatz U-Bahn Stations, Munich, Germany

Georg-Brauchle-Ring, Marienplatz and Candidplatz U-Bahn Stations, Munich, Germany Georg-Brauchle-Ring, Marienplatz and Candidplatz U-Bahn Stations, Munich, Germany

Christian Beirle González Report

AlfredoPagnotta
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some U-bahn stations in Munich are really beautiful I live in Munich since more than one year but I don't know 2 of those three!!

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#20

Metro Station Wilhelminaplein (wilhelmina Square), Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Metro Station Wilhelminaplein (wilhelmina Square), Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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#21

Oez, Munich

Oez, Munich

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#22

Malostranská Station In Prague.

Malostranská Station In Prague.

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#23

Budapest Metro 4

Budapest Metro 4

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#24

São Bento Station, Porto, Portugal

São Bento Station, Porto, Portugal

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Necy Guerreiro
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that ist not underground station, it is a train station!

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#25

"zoloti Vorota" Station, Kiev, Ukraine

"zoloti Vorota" Station, Kiev, Ukraine

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#26

Hamburg Hafencity Metro

Hamburg Hafencity Metro

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Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pana53/12948237143/in/photostream/

#27

Namur Station Lighting, Montréal

Namur Station Lighting, Montréal

Stm Report

#28

Finding It Hard To Step Up

Finding It Hard To Step Up

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DorindaMartin
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of the top 15 and your ideas of good design seem to be in the eye of the beholder and not judged on all round merit.

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#29

Kyoto Station, Japan

Kyoto Station, Japan

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Hans Ongerth
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The picture shows the train station in Kyoto, not the metro station.

#30

Metro Station Plac Wilsona, Warsaw, Poland

Metro Station Plac Wilsona, Warsaw, Poland

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Kinga Walenta
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most beautiful metro station i've even been

#31

Syntagma Station, Athens, Greece

Syntagma Station, Athens, Greece

www.usemycamera.net Report

#32

Liège Guillemins, Belgium

Liège Guillemins, Belgium

www.e-architect.co.uk Report

Juraj Kováč
Community Member
3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again, a train station – not a metro station.

#33

#17 U3-volkstheater, Vienna, Austria

#17 U3-volkstheater, Vienna, Austria

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FrankHuber
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What about Nürnberg? I think about the one giving you a great optical Warp Drive style illusion when entering the station

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#34

Bochum Rathaus, Germany

Bochum Rathaus, Germany

view.stern.de Report

Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

http://www.coolibri.de/blogs/stadtschwarm/2013/08/08/katja-kulin-gedicht-fur-eine-haltestelle-oder-bochum-rathaus-sud/

#35

Parque Metro Station, Lisbon, Portugal

Parque Metro Station, Lisbon, Portugal

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Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On the ceiling is writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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#36

Devyatkino, St. Petersburg, Russia

Devyatkino, St. Petersburg, Russia

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redhood1504
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not Devuatkino. It's ploschad Vosstaniya

#37

Arbatskaya Station, Moscow, Russia

Arbatskaya Station, Moscow, Russia

sormabulmadunyasi.blogspot.com Report

#38

U-bahn Station Westfriedhof, Munich, Germany

U-bahn Station Westfriedhof, Munich, Germany

view.stern.de Report

#39

Metro Station Pannenhuis - Brussels

Metro Station Pannenhuis - Brussels

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Simon Chabrillat
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a very beautiful station, in a quintessential 1970's style. It deserves a much better picture! Just lsearch on Google Image...

#40

Lavov Most Station, Sofia, Bulgaria

Lavov Most Station, Sofia, Bulgaria

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#41

Kremlevskaya Metro Station, Kazan, Russia

Kremlevskaya Metro Station, Kazan, Russia

k-metro.ruz.net Report

#42

Almaty, Kazakhstan - Metro Station "baikonyr"

Almaty, Kazakhstan - Metro Station "baikonyr"

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#43

National Stadium Station, Sofia, Bulgaria

National Stadium Station, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Mihaela Dineva
Community Member
3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s National Palace of Culture station

#44

Metro Station In Dubai - Uae

Metro Station In Dubai - Uae

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#45

Caís Do Sodré Metro Station, Lisboa, Portugal

Caís Do Sodré Metro Station, Lisboa, Portugal

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#46

Rákóczi Square, Budapest, Hungary

Rákóczi Square, Budapest, Hungary

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#47

Belgica Station - Brussels

Belgica Station - Brussels

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#48

Estación De Metro Arganzuela-planetario (madrid, España)

Estación De Metro Arganzuela-planetario (madrid, España)

www.metromadrid.es Report

#49

Namur Station Lighting, Montreal, Canada

Namur Station Lighting, Montreal, Canada

STM Report

Tantethenoma
Community Member
8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those balls again.. Great for advertising products...or scantily clad men..

#50

Duvbo Subwaystation, Stockholm

Duvbo Subwaystation, Stockholm

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See Also on Bored Panda
#51

Nydalen Metro Stastion, Oslo, Norway. Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter

Nydalen Metro Stastion, Oslo, Norway. Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter

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