How to design a subway station…?
Should it just be a utilitarian structure, devoid of any attributes besides offering a roof and some walls and a platform or two…?
I decided to make a statement: to “confuse” in order to provoke emotions not normally associated with a subway station.
My early studies were based on the morphologies and behaviors of insects and plants. Through a series of experiments and spontaneous compositions the work evolved into a field….a web of structures, meshes and sculptural elements.
Courtesy of Shahira Hammad
This intricate, complex web tries to create that locus most subways stations are not.
In a way it is the very opposite of an “oasis.”
An oasis is a patch of light, serenity and open space.
My subway station is dark, dense, and almost capable of generating claustrophobia.
It is a physical space, but also a psychic space.
It is a labyrinth.
It is an image of our / my mind, perhaps, living in a world with many contradictions, in a non-linear world, in a world as-a-knot.”
Courtesy of Shahira Hammad
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.