{"id":113,"date":"2009-07-08T15:26:28","date_gmt":"2009-07-08T20:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cityblock.wordpress.com\/?p=113"},"modified":"2011-02-20T16:33:38","modified_gmt":"2011-02-20T21:33:38","slug":"canopies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alexblock.net\/blog\/2009\/07\/08\/canopies\/","title":{"rendered":"Canopies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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(Image by Kyle Walton<\/strong><\/a> on Flickr<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Most of Metro’s station entrances these days have canopies to protect patrons and escalators from the elements.\u00a0 It wasn’t meant to be this way, as Zach Schrag documents in his book The Great Society Subway<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 For numerous reasons, however, we have them now.\u00a0 With that in mind, DC Metrocentric has a recent post up<\/a> on the elegance of the canopies at Columbia Heights – how they blend in to the surrounding area, fit well with the nearby architecture, etc.<\/p>\n

I can’t help but comment on these canopies – because I really dislike the Columbia Heights (and Petworth, for that matter) canopies.\u00a0\u00a0 Unlike the other canopies in the system, these ones may look fine from the outside, but they violate a number of the basic design precepts of the entire system.\u00a0 There’s something to be said for individualized stations and station entrances, but for better or for worse that’s not part of the Metro system.\u00a0 Instead, Metro is marked by remarkable continuity between stations with common design elements and common materials.<\/p>\n

One of those core principles is to maximize volume. This isn’t just for grandeur, either – the voluminous train rooms in Metro’s underground stations provide clear sight lines for patrons to see the mezzanines and easily visualize the circulation routes to get in and out of the stations.\u00a0 Similarly, Metro designers explicitly wanted to stay away from associations with older, enclosed systems in Philly, Boston, Chicago and New York – that meant fare gates are unobtrusive, unlike their caged cousins in New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Columbia Heights canopies violate a couple of these points.\u00a0 Though they enclose a lot of space, they sure don’t feel voluminous.\u00a0 Because the canopies sit rather low on the station’s parapet, the gap between the outside and the escalator shaft feels enclosed.\u00a0 It doesn’t help that the gap is enclosed with a combination of public art and metal bars.\u00a0 It feels more like a cage than a canopy.<\/p>\n

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(Image by dbking<\/strong><\/a> on Flickr<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Where older metro entrances have their ‘doors’ and gates used to close the system at the bottom of their escalator wells, these stations have them at the top of the escalators as part of the canopy.\u00a0 This necessitates the caged feeling, since it functionally is a cage.\u00a0 Undoubtedly, this is done to eliminate homeless people sleeping at the bottom of the escalators but the effect is detrimental to the overall design.<\/p>\n

Finally, these canopies don’t identify which part of the structure is the entrance.\u00a0 This isn’t a huge critique, because the canopy-less stations have the same problem.\u00a0 However, given the fact that the canopies do exist, the more common design does a much better job of identifying where to enter the system simply by design.<\/p>\n

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(Image by dbking<\/strong><\/a> on Flickr<\/em>)<\/p>\n

The soaring canopy fits Metro’s design much better.\u00a0 It provides the necessary shelter for both people and equipment, maintains the openness of the station entrances, clearly indicates where one enters the station, and harmonizes well with the rest of the system’s architecture.\u00a0\u00a0 The ‘scooping’ of the canopy clearly indicates which end is the entrance.\u00a0 The curvature of the canopy, combined with the individual panes of glass evokes a clear parallel to the original coffered vault station design.<\/p>\n

For freestanding station entrances, this is the better option.<\/p>\n

However, they’re not a cure all.\u00a0 The U Street Metro’s 13th Street entrance is a great example.<\/p>\n

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