Giving his talk subtitled “TfLL – Transforming London’s Looks” author, broadcaster and documentary film maker Mark Ovenden described how London had grown quickly from the 18th Century onwards. The first railways such as the Surrey Iron Railway (1803) and the first commuter railway were built around the city but did not help people get across London.
As steam train designs developed, the solution was to bore holes underground with cuttings to allow engine steam to disperse. The first underground railway was opened in 1863. By 1868 a number of underground stations had been designed incorporating very fancy architecture such as orbs and glass canopies. In the 1880s the City and South London line opened where stations were covered in white ceramic tiles to reflect the light. Some stations had glass domes that allowed for a lift to be included. Many of the stations were built out of terracotta brick with flat roofs, so that more storeys could be added and rented out on top, thereby bringing much needed revenue.
The ”Underground” was considered expensive at 2p a fare. It needed to advertise. Frank Pick realized that the “name” and “logo” were most important. He had clear, lit beacons put up at stations with “Underground” written large on them, He commissioned a map of the underground which was displayed at stations and was ultimately replaced by Harold F Hutchinson’s map in the 1950s, that we know today. He copied the Paris Metro idea of having the station names printed in very large white lettering on a blue background . Edward Holden designed the logo which became the iconic red circle cut with a blue bar first seen in the 1920s. Many posters advertising the Underground were printed, while new stations were designed in “Art Deco” style.
The Underground continued to expand in the 20th and 21st Century with the DLR, the extension to Heathrow, the Jubilee Line and the Elizabeth line. Design and architecture has moved with the times in response to Frank Pick’s original statement “The test of the goodness of a design is if it is fit for purpose”.
Liz Beecheno