Paris Metro revisited
3 Comments Published by Cedric Benetti on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 4/07/2009 01:12:00 AM.
Those of you who remember the first post I did on Harry Beck's design for the Paris metro will be pleased to find here his second version of 1951, all in color and geometric confusion.
My neighborhood's stations look amazingly unfamiliar, especially since line 3 is not horizontal anymore on this one.
The same detail view onto my neighborhood is distinctly confusing. Maybe it is also because of the small size of this map.
This type of overgeometric map is quite pleasing to the eyes, but since in Paris people also like to use their metro maps as street maps, it would be hard to imagine stepping up to a metro entrance in the middle of the night and try to pinpoint your geographic position in the city on this kind of map and find your way around.
My neighborhood's stations look amazingly unfamiliar, especially since line 3 is not horizontal anymore on this one.
This Metro pocket map, issued by a private publisher in 1939 is even more confusing and abstract. No one would even vaguely be able to get around Paris with this wacky mesh, looking more like a decaying piece of cloth than a metro map.
The same detail view onto my neighborhood is distinctly confusing. Maybe it is also because of the small size of this map.
Labels: Maps, Paris street stuff (NOT a TOILET), Underground transportation
I got confused at first. I reread what did you write and now I understand. Yeah, I thought I can go to Paris from London by Paris Metro. This is just local LRT lol.
Bonjour! Cedric,
hmmm...very interesting!
Merci!...For Sharing!
Deedee ;-D
These images are taken from a new book about the design of the Paris Metro. (http://www.amazon.fr/Paris-Underground-Stations-Design-Metro/dp/0143116398/)