Given that they are essentially functional buildings whose purpose is to help with transport, it is quite impressive that the stations look so good. In fact, the railway has inspired some of the most iconic designs of the last two centuries. The creation of travel networks on the continent and in the world is proof that there is no reason why the practical infrastructure should not look good to the viewer.
If you don't like to travel by plane, train travel has its own glamor, as this top will show, which will bring to your attention the most beautiful stations in the world.
The 10 most spectacular and beautiful stations in the world.
Don't you believe us? Addressing a number of styles from different eras, we present 10 stations from around the world, which are so spectacular that you won't even bother if the train is late.
Dunedin Station, New Zealand
This basalt and limestone castle gave the architect George Troup the name "'Gingerbread George'" (George the Gingerbread George). Although he apparently preferred an alternative design based on the idea of a "Scottish mansion", the station's design now resembles a gingerbread castle.
Dunedin Station is one of the city's most prominent architectural landmarks.
Once the busiest resort in New Zealand, the building has seen a huge drop in traffic and now houses a restaurant, an art gallery and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Every year, the main platform becomes the "longest runway in the world" for a fashion show.
Dating from 1906, this magnificent Flemish Renaissance-style building features white Oamaru limestone facades on black basalt rock, giving it a dramatic air and the characteristic "Gingerbread House" look. Decorated in the magnificent style of the times, the reservation room alone has a mosaic floor of almost 750.000 Royal Doulton porcelain tiles.
Grand Central, New York, USA
Grand Central it is, as far as possible, the most famous railway station in the world. Even if you've never been to Grand Central or New York, you'll definitely recognize her from the many movies she's appeared in, such as 'North by Northwest' and 'The Avengers'. It is also quite famous for its own art: a vast (though slightly inaccurate) star mural adorns the ceiling of the main hall, while a number of famous paintings, sculptures and paintings can be found both inside and outside. and outside.
Opened to the public on February 2, 1913, Grand Central is a world-renowned landmark and transportation hub in Midtown Manhattan.
Its rich history is a story of immense wealth and excellent engineering, but also of survival and rebirth. Today, the landmark for fine arts is a retail and dining destination, as well as the MTA Metro-North Railroad home and a subway station serving subway lines 4, 5, 6, 7 and S.
Grand Central Terminal has many names, including Grand Central, Terminal and GCT. One of Grand Central's main attractions, the four-sided opal clock, is located in the center of the Main Hall above the Information Stand and is often a meeting place for visitors and locals alike. You know you're New Yorker when you told a friend to "meet at the clock." With 750.000 visitors every day, Grand Central Terminal is one of New York's most visited destinations, second only to Times Square.
Central Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Buildings that house train stations tend to take up a lot of horizontal space, for pretty obvious reasons – but this station in the center of Rio de Janeiro has its own 400m tall Art Deco tower, which is apparently famous for it doesn't show the correct time, but what is the world's largest four-faced clock, 110 meters tall. The first train of the railway has left Central do Brasil on March 29, 1858 at 10 o'clock in the morning, when the locomotive "Brazil" took the emperor to Pouso dos Queimados (now Queimados).
The station was inaugurated with the name "Estação do Campo" because the station area was within the boundaries of Campo de Santana.
The Nossa Senhora de Santana church was demolished to make way for the train station, but the wooden image of the Portuguese saint can be found in a chapel in the Central station. Shortly thereafter it became known as the "State Court", referring to the Imperial Court. It was then named "Dom Pedro II Station", a tribute to the Emperor. With the advent of the Republic, the new government wanted to split the name of the former monarch's railway. Then the old Dom Pedro II railway was renamed "Central do Brasil Railway" and this station was immediately named "Estação Central do Brasil".
Huddersfield Station, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
A train station that looks more like a Corinthian palace due to its architecture, the style being praised by John Betjeman and Nikolaus Pevsner - two of the greatest British architects. Huddersfield's design, even by Victorian railway standards, was the combined effort of two separate railway companies, with the idea of linking the two ideas under a single central dome, more special and much more extravagant. Visitors should make sure they admire the oil painting of Felix, the "pest controller," who is a cat.
Designed by architect James Pigott Pritchett and built by Joseph Kaye in 1846–50, using the neoclassical style, the station is well known in architectural circles for its classical-style façade, with a Corinthian portico, six columns wide and two columns deep. , which dominates St George's Square. It is a class I building. In the 1880s, the station was expanded by installing an island platform with a general roof. The roof partially collapsed on August 10, 1885, killing four people, but it was rebuilt.
Central Station, Santiago, Chile
Officially named Alameda (after the Chilean capital's main road), Estaçion Central was inaugurated in 1885, but by the time its current building opened in 1897, it had become an iconic building. Two gleaming white columned buildings stand on either side of the tracks and have a vast, ornate steel roof that covers everything like an oversized albatross.
The special design of its large metal structure, with a central tower, has led some sources to attribute the project to the famous French architect Gustave Eiffel, but this is not correct. However, the French style of the central station is obvious, as the structure was made by the French company Schneider Co Creusot, which was also responsible for its assembly in Santiago. Due to its great artistic and historical value, this station was declared a national historical landmark in 1983.
Kanazawa Station, Japan
Kanazawa Main Station it is a fascinating fusion of past and future. In front of it is a vast traditional wooden torii gate, usually found outside Japanese shrines, while the entrance to the station is covered by the gleaming aluminum and glass Motenashi Dome. Every detail has been meticulously thought out – including the dazzling platform columns that are embellished with gold leaf, one of Kanazawa's most famous exports.
In the XNUMXth century, a new branch of Buddhism became very popular in this region because it taught a sacred truth: that all people are equal. This teaching of equality inspired the locals to stand up and no longer be the servants of the rich. They established their own "Peasant Kingdom," which they ruled from a fortified temple on high ground. The temple was named Oyama Gobo and the city of Kanazawa grew up around it. A century later, this Buddhist kingdom fell and the temple was replaced by Kanazawa Castle, but Buddhist ideas and philosophy remained very important here. So maybe wearing the torii in front of Kanazawa Station is partly a tribute to that religious origin.
Metz-Ville train station, Metz, France
The main railway station in Metz may seem at first to be a kind of converted church, but in fact it is an artifact of imperial history - rather - than religious. Despite being over a century old, it is the fourth station to occupy this site and was built by Kaiser Wilhelm II to assert German sovereignty over the region in 1908. It incorporates the stained glass windows that represent St. Roman Emperor Charlemagne as well as private apartments for Kaiser (now the headquarters of the French state railway company SNCF).
Metz-Ville Station, commonly called Metz Station, is located near the center of Metz
The Metz-Ville station, commonly called the Metz station, is located near the center of Metz, the prefecture of the Moselle department, in the Grand Est region. Built during the first German annexation of Alsace and Moselle (1871-1918), the station was inaugurated in 1908 by the Imperial General Directorate of the Alsace-Lorraine Railways, replacing the old Metz station, which was put into operation in 1878. Passenger building , for its facades and roofs, of the hall of honor, with the decoration of the buffet and the departure hall, transformed the station into a historical monument, from January 15, 1975.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, India
Still known colloquially as "VT" after its colonial-era name, Victoria Terminus, Chhatrapati Shivaji does not actually have much in common with the great British Victorian railway, St Pancras. If anything, it is far greater than George Gilbert Scott's Gothic red brick effort, its abundance of domes and towers covered by a four-meter-tall marble statue destined to represent "Progress," in case someone missed the idea. Now one of the most famous buildings in Mumbai, Chhatrapati Shivaji is - since 2004 - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chhatrapati Shivaji is a remarkable example of Victorian Renaissance Gothic architecture in India.
Chhatrapati Shivaji is a remarkable example of Victorian Renaissance Gothic architecture in India, mixed with themes derived from traditional Indian architecture. The building, designed by British architect FW Stevens, has become the city's symbol and India's main international trading port. The terminal was built over 10 years, starting in 1878, according to a Victorian Gothic design based on late medieval Italian models.
Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, sharp arches and eccentric plan are close to the traditional architecture of the Indian palace. It is a remarkable example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian tradition and architectural expressions, thus creating a new unique style in Mumbai.
Gare do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal
A Gothic-inspired metal and glass pavilion, Gare do Oriente in Lisbon was opened just in time for millions of visitors to admire on the way to the huge world fair "Expo" 98. The station was inaugurated on May 19, 1998, and at the time of its opening it was considered the largest intermodal station in Portugal, winning the Brunel Prize on October 7, 1998, in the category of major new construction projects. Designed to maximize natural light during the day, the towering work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava resembles a forest lit at night. The train station has an underground shopping center and a police station.
In 1994, the station was proposed as part of the modernization of Linha do Norte, a modification of the railway to facilitate the future development of an Oriente station. Located along Avenida D. João II, over Avenida de Berlim and Rua Conselheiro Mariano de Carvalho, the station was planned to occupy the land once occupied by Apeadeiro dos Olivais, which was demolished in the 1990s to make way for the new station.
Naples Afragola, Naples, Italy
Afragola manages to draw attention even against the unpleasant background of Mount Vesuvius, one of the most active volcanoes in Europe. The station is arranged in such a way that, if the ground begins to shake, parts of its structure can move independently of each other.
The project of the station, made by the architect Zaha Hadid, was officially presented on November 4, 2003. The works were initially blocked in 2003, immediately after the excavations, due to an archeological discovery (a Mycenaean village, the first and only one of its kind in a locality). from within the country). Then the construction was entrusted to a company that gave up the contract.
At the beginning of 2014, an opinion was published stipulating the completion of the works within 18 months from the award of the works. The provisional allocation of works took place in November of the same year, and in February 2015 the works were resumed. The station was inaugurated on June 6, 2017, while the regular passenger service began with the change of summer time, on June 11, 2017. On the occasion of the inauguration, Mayor Tuccillo announced the title of the station market in memory of architect Zaha Hadid.
There are definitely other unique and beautiful stations in the world. If you have discovered such a wonderful place and you think it is worth mentioning in this article, we are waiting for your pictures on our Instagram or Facebook or you can mention us in your posts.
That being said, we wish you a summer full of travel :)!