Gants Hill, Barkingside and Redbridge have been named as some of the most aesthetically pleasing Tube stations on the London Underground.
As part of a Pound Palace project to remind commuters of the beauty around them amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, a chart of the most inspiring architect designs has been released.
Grade II listed Redbridge Station made it into the compendium for its “somewhat forbidding and industrial presence” in Eastern Avenue.
Originally the building would have an additional feature and was to be softened by a permanently lit glass tower but the project was downscaled due to post-war shortages.
Barkingside Station made the cut for its “red brick Edwardian era” simplicity.
A Pound Palace spokesman said: “Barkingside has the slight look of a pagoda, and was most likely designed by architect WN Ashbee – who was also responsible for the gigantic Liverpool Street Station, at the other end of the scale.”
Gants Hill was added to the list for being the “most eastern entirely subterranean” station and the art deco design was inspired by the Moscow Metro.
“This project is intended as an invitation for Londoners to see the Tube stations they visit daily in a new light and to get exploring the oldest (and certainly one of the most beautiful) metro systems in the world with the eyes of a tourist,” he added.
“Tube stations are so much a part of the everyday lives of London’s commuters that few bat an eyelid at the architecture they see on the way to and from work every day.
“But many of these stations were ahead of their time when they were built - from the art deco of Arnos Grove to the high tech of Canary Wharf - and so many others have been added to the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
“We wanted to pay homage to these stations with an illustrated poster that celebrates their architecture – and what better way to do that than by creating a compendium of pen-and-paper hand-sketched illustrations.”
Pound Place worked with illustrator Luis Gómez Feliu – who spent over 82 hours painstakingly sketching each station.
For more information visit: poundstopocket.co.uk/pound-place/tube-architecture-london-undergrounds-82-most-beautiful-stations
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