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Moving Through Space: Transit Hubs Are the New Agoras

Airports, train stations, shopping malls: once considered cold, soulless spaces, they’re now undergoing a radical transformation into artistic and cultural hubs thanks to design, color and changing habits.

Thirty years have passed since 1992, when anthropologist Marc Augé coined the neologism “non-places” to define locations that are devoid of relationships and identity. Decades after his astute observation, something seems to have changed in the way we occupy and experience space.

Technology, and especially the internet, have altered our perception of “elsewhere” by making it possible to be present at a distance, and redefining what it means to be together or alone.
Space has become fluid, as private and public have melded and we have begun working, relaxing, studying and training in multi-purpose environments.

Places that once were considered empty, soulless containers have instead become beloved places to visit.

Designers were the first to notice the change, observing how, for instance, shopping malls had become the new town squares, gathering places for young people who met there without buying anything. This led to changes in the way the spaces were conceived. They became brighter, more inviting and functional, giving consumers the chance to try different experiences, such as seeing exhibitions, sampling street food, playing the piano and attending a theater performance.

“Perhaps happiness is only to be found in stations?” mused Georges Perec. For those of us with a Vespa soul, who live on the move – constantly seeking out new worlds and embracing comings and goings – the ability to experience airports, subway stations, hotels and shopping malls as living spaces rather than alienating nowhere lands is truly revolutionary.

Subway Museums

Those few minutes spent waiting for a subway train to go to or come home from work can feel like an eternity. These daily commutes, so repetitive, bore us and are often a source of stress. Why not instead use them to enjoy masterpieces of modern art?

That’s what the City of Naples wondered, ultimately opening the Stazioni dell’Arte (Art Stations), nine subway stops on Line 1 that are built as museums. For the price of a ticket, you can admire over 200 modern art installations and also swoon over the incredible architecture at the Toledo station, among others.

The Stockholm subway is also a real work of art with its 90 stations embellished with the works of approximately 150 artists. It’s worth taking the time to enjoy this city museum without rushing: after all, the subway in the Swedish capital is rarely crowded.

We would be remiss not to mention New York’s subway, which for many years now has been a gallery featuring permanent works and street art murals (some admittedly unauthorized).

Layover Art

Ever longer lines and ever more complex bureaucracy, stricter regulations… These days, taking an airplane has become the antithesis of relaxation. Fortunately, art has stepped up to make your time at the gate more pleasant. Forget the anonymous hangars of the past with their sad little bars and blindingly bright duty-free shops.

The trend kicked off in the U.S. before reaching Canada, Europe and Australia, making airport waiting areas into galleries.

Sacramento, Miami, Brisbane, Toronto and other international airports have acquired notable works of art from the likes of Alexander Calder, Michael Hayden, Richard Serra and Norie Sato. Some of these works become quasi symbols of the cities in which they are located. Your budget airline ticket doesn’t include checked baggage? Cheer up and try viewing it as a ticket to a museum, instead.

Sleeping Design

Some make you feel at home. Others make you into the star of your own movie. Design hotels, with their avantgarde architecture, lights and furnishings, aim to provide memorable experiences that combine relaxation, luxury and wellbeing. These are not cold, impersonal gray spaces with drab, cookie-cutter beds and closets. On the contrary, these increasingly unique, personalized spaces make you feel as though you’re living an adventure, if only for an evening.

Consider the private beaches of the luxurious Adam&Eve hotel in Belek, Turkey, or the multi-colored rooms of Rome’s Mama Shelter, and the Marqués de Riscal’s wine-therapy spa amidst the vineyards of Elciego in Spain. Design hotels are on the rise, offering something for all tastes and turning our trips away from home into cozy experiences.

Just remember that what really brings places alive are the dreams of those who go there – our dreams.