Abandoned subway stations have long been the playgrounds of squatters and urban explorers alike, but one French politician has higher hopes. Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, a candidate for mayor of Paris, wants to turn them into awesome entertainment and sports venues.
Kosciusko-Morizet — or NKM, as she’s known by her supporters — just revealed a series of sketches for what these repurposed Paris Metro stations might look like. Working with young Parisian architect Manal Rachdi and urban planner Nicolas Laisné, NKM believes she can convert otherwise unused spaces into everything from a swimming pool to an auditorium. And you know you’d party in an abandoned Metro station nightclub. Fun fact: the French term for abandoned subway stations literally translates as “phantom stations”.
Of course, the idea of repurposing public works projects is hardly new, though NKM’s approach is particularly radical. In Sweden, a design studio has proposed turning redundant space on Stockholm’s Tranebergbron bridge into a sheltered promenade, outdoor cinema and art gallery. In New York City, they do things a little less officially. Gotham’s abandoned subway stations have long been home to notorious underground parties — the literal kind.
But, seriously, this Paris plan — if realised — would blow all of those out of the water. Then the City of Light really will have it all. [NKM via PSFK]
