Cavernous Budapest metro stations feature concrete lattice overhead

«It reflects the experience of urban traffic,» added Dékány. In places where passengers interact more with the interiors, the architects chose materials that give the surfaces a sense of tactility or visual interest. The entrance and circulation areas of both stations feature weathered steel panels that have been applied to the walls, designed to offer   a warm contrast to the concrete surfaces. The system of cross-bracing reinforced concrete beams reduces the need for columns, enabling the platform areas to become open and uninterrupted spaces. Related story: Budapest cafe with vaulted brick ceilings by Spora Architects
First conceived in the 1970s and developed over the subsequent decades, the plans for the M4 stations have been updated to reflect contemporary requirements and aesthetic standards. Tunnels within the Szent Gellért tér station are decorated with a swirling mosaic by artist Tamás Komoróczky, which references the tiles used inside the famous Gellért hotel situated nearby. Photography is by Tamás Bujnovszky. The stations developed by Spora Architects are among ten that will be added along the Hungarian city’s new 7.34-kilometre M4 metro line, which connects the city’s South-Buda district with the centre of Pest on the opposite side of the Danube river. Here, the complex system of beams evokes the streets and traffic systems above ground. Both stations employed a «cut-and-cover» construction method in which the spaces were   excavated from top-to-bottom rather than mined, allowing the architects to introduce daylight from the surface into the deepest levels. «The most challenging aim for us was to rationalise the structures, architecture, technology and space as originally planned, while at the same time re-thinking the project according to the 21st century’s spirit,» explained the architects in a statement.