A rare quiet moment at a London Railway Station.
A quiet station on a Friday afternoon, you can just make out two figures. The Lady in black wears a mask and carries her phone. You’ll have to take my word for that. There is another figure on the bench to the left of the escalator.
Trains wait on both platforms. Everything else is quiet. Above us looms an arching glazed roof. Its metal arch is picked out in red, criss crossed with more intersections, and curved support in a confused yet, ultimately coordinated, mass of struts and joints.
More glass panels fill up the end of the great arch below a series of three smaller arches define the platform areas beyond. The roof fills half of the painting, giving a sense of expansive, light space, which contrasts to the busy dark structures below and leads to the darkest spot as you head underground.
All that’s visible below are the edges of steps going up on the other side. A contemporary station. Canary Wharf station holds its own. Functional with aesthetic appeal, taking advantage of its elevated location to great effect. Beyond the towers of Canary Wharf are indicated by colour and a few lines. They’re not allowed to steal the limelight from this elegant structure.
