DC Metro

The competition intent was to design a canopy that could be adapted to all of Washington’s Metrorail station entries. Our proposal was to contrast with the solidity and monumental scale of the city’s architecture with a very minimal structure characterized by light, transparency and reflection. The steel structure has a dynamic form that can adapt to any opening width. Glass sheathing is etched with the individual station identity. At the subway threshold, LED signage is programmed with train schedules and neighborhood directions. On a sunny day, the stations name is projected onto the pavement. At night the underside of the canopy becomes a billboard for Washington’s cultural and civic events. Advertising signage is a source of revenue for the city as well as an entertaining and informative experience for Metrorail users.