Underground Signs

• By Katrín Eyþórsdóttir
• September 16th, 2010
• Signs
• 1 Comment

This gallery presents the collection of photos submitted for the World Of Signage Photo Contest by the readers of Smashing Magazine. We received over 2,500+ photos from our readers across the globe, and present a selection of the most interesting photos in the overview below.

The topic of this gallery is Underground signs. A multitude of signs found in and around subway and metro stations designed to convey an assortment of information in compact and crowded areas. Please notice: each photo has a certain license, provided in the description of the photo. Before using the images for private or commercial projects, make sure that the license allows you to do so. Also, you can click on the photos for a larger preview.

Please feel free to take a look at other submissions as well (links to other galleries are listed in the end of this gallery).

Metro / Underground signs

Westminster Underground

Westminster Underground [ large preview ]
"Westminster underground station." License: All right reserved. Photo taken by Matteo Palazzani from Italy.

Art nouveau metro station in Montreal

Art nouveau metro station in Montreal [ large preview ]
"Photo of the metro entrance “Square Victoria” in Montreal." Photo taken by Raul Dario Acosta from Canada.

Changing line

Changing line [ large preview ]
"Changing line – metro station on Deák square Budapest." Licensed: cc by-nc. Photo taken by Kristóf Jakab from Hungary.

M as metro

M as metro [ large preview ]
"M as metro station is here – metro station on Deák square Budapest." Licensed: cc by-nc. Photo taken by Kristóf Jakab from Hungary.

One station two direction

One station two direction [ large preview ]
"One station, two direction, old and new design – metro station on Deák square Budapest – metro station on Deák square Budapest." Licensed: cc by-nc. Photo taken by Kristóf Jakab from Hungary.

Chicago Metro Station2

Chicago Metro Station2 [ large preview ]
"Simple yet intricately elegant work for the metro sign simulating Paris Art Nouveau metal work at the stations in the 1920s." Photo taken by Maiss Razem from Jordan.

Tehran metro exit

Tehran metro exit [ large preview ]
"Tehran Metro Bi-Language Exit Sign." Photo taken by Arash Haji Vaziri from Iran.

Quo vadis Moskva

Quo vadis Moskva [ large preview ]
"Metro information system, Moscow." Photo taken by Lisa Veverka from Austria.

Metro sign in paris

Metro sign in paris [ large preview ]
"A public subway entrance sign somewhere in Paris." Designed by V.D. Photo from Romania.

Lisbon Metro Emergency Break

Lisbon Metro Emergency Break [ large preview ]
"Taken on the Lisbon Metro. Construtctivism-like Emergency Break." License: Creative Commons (by nc). Photo taken by Joris Vreeke from Ireland.

Underground Sign

Underground Sign [ large preview ]
"Classic sign on the London underground. Harrow on the Hill Station." Licensed: Mention/create website link. Photo taken by Josh (Editor) from UK.

Go underground the subway

Go underground the subway [ large preview ]
"There are not too much of subways in Pune, India. But found out a signage of one." Photo taken by Mayur Mutha from India.

Handrail signage for blind person

Handrail signage for blind person [ large preview ]
"Staircases’ handrails provide information label for blind people in one of the Nagoya’s (Japan) underground. As easy to notice there are braille characters on the left side of the handrail." Licensed: Photo was taken by myself. Photo taken by Piotr Domowicz from Poland.

Underground mortuary

Underground mortuary [ large preview ]
"Taken in a German underground military hospital in Guernsey. I loved the really sinister look to it!" Designed by Henrik Cullen from UK.

Inspired by the underground

Inspired by the underground [ large preview ]
"People walk by the musician. He drums with his eyes closed completely immersed in the music of the city – the rumble of the trams, the stream of cars freed by the green traffic light like the breaking of a dam and the moments of silence between them. People are pale shadows, that vibrate with the rhythm of the city. The beats of his hands synchronize the beating of the heart with the pulse of the city." Designed by Vladimir Rizov from Bulgaria.

Sunshine Sign

Sunshine Sign [ large preview ]
"A sign in the Tokyo underground… I just really wanted to go to Sunshine!" Photo taken by Lee Crutchley from England.

Food on the go

London Underground

London Underground [ large preview ]
"A sign leading into the St. James’s Park Underground station." Photo taken by Jen Mabe from USA.

Street Kensigton Subway Station, London

Street Kensigton Subway Station, London [ large preview ]
"The repressive metal net above the subway station’s sign is so typical of Britain." Licensed: Creative Commons Attribution License. Photo taken by Dimitar Nikolov from Bulgaria.

Wrong direction

Wrong direction [ large preview ]
"An emergency exit sign on a subway station ground." Photo taken by Chao-ping Chen from Taiwan.

Radio City Subway

Radio City Subway [ large preview ]
"New York Radio City Music Hall and Subway Type." Photo taken by Matthew Tarran from UK.

Subway wayfinder

Subway wayfinder [ large preview ]
"A way-finder at the central Subway station in Tokyo, Japan." Photo taken by Fumie Wada from Japan.

Subway Elevator

Subway Elevator [ large preview ]
"Elevator signage at a Toronto subway." Photo taken by Kenneth Gerson from Canada.

Mexico City Auditorio’s Subway Sign

Mexico City Auditorio’s Subway Sign [ large preview ]
"This is a sing in the inside of a Subway in Mexico City." Photo taken by José Arturo García garcía from Mexico City.

Vienna Subway Map

Vienna Subway Map [ large preview ]
"Vienna Subway Map. I really love the use of Helvetica" Photo taken by Alex Buga from Romania.

Station Shop

Station Shop [ large preview ]
"Please use other door – Station Shop." Photo taken by John Kilpatrick from United Kingdom.

Kiss and ride

Kiss and ride [ large preview ]
"Funny signage at the entrance of a High-speed rail station in Taiwan." Licensed: Full Copyright. Photo taken by Arthur Heng from Taiwan.

Wapping

Wapping [ large preview ]
"London Overground Station at Night (Wapping Supergraphics)." Photo taken by Matthew Jeffery from United Kingdom.

Miami Beach

Miami Beach [ large preview ]
"Miami Beach lifeguard station." Photo taken by Boris Henriot from USA.

On the Left

On the Left [ large preview ]
"Gas station on the left." Photo taken by Willi willi from Indonesia.

No Begging

No Begging [ large preview ]
"This photo was taken at Leytonstone tube station in August 2010. My baby daughter and I have cycled past this sign on numerous occasions. It made me laugh every time I saw it and I was waiting for the moment to do something with it. This competition gave me the opportunity to show the ridiculous contradiction of those words. My friend Jesica helped me for that." Photo taken by Claire Guilloton from UK.

The High Numbers

The High Numbers [ large preview ]
"Pricing in gas station." Designed by Ruben Manuel M Moreno from Portugal.

Railway Officer’s Parking Space

Railway Officer’s Parking Space [ large preview ]
"A railway station that is about to close down and the space infront of the station is for the officers." Licensed: Royalty Free (RF) images. Photo taken by Ellson Yap from Singapore.

Which level ?

Which level ? [ large preview ]
"In the beautiful brussel’s station, the sign of elevator is very huge and beautiful lighting inside, very integrate with modern architecture of the station." Licensed: License (Attribution) free but if it used just notified by Thomas Nicot. Photo taken by nicot from France.

Subway Scratch Off

Subway Scratch Off [ large preview ]
"Subway sign for center city Philly @ Market East Station." Photo taken by Carissa Katz from USA.

Urban Rabbit

Urban Rabbit [ large preview ]
"Photo taken in the tube in Paris." Photo taken by Julian Salaun from France.

Alarme volontaire

Alarme volontaire [ large preview ]
"Photo taken in the tube in Paris." Photo taken by Julian Salaun from france.

Traditional Signage

Traditional Signage [ large preview ]
"A collection of signs in Victoria Tube Station." Photo taken by Charlotte Simpson from UK.

London Underground

London Underground [ large preview ]
"A sign leading into the St. James’s Park Underground station." Photo taken by Jen Mabe from USA.

Lisbon Metro Emergency Break

Lisbon Metro Emergency Break [ large preview ]
"Taken on the Lisbon Metro. Construtctivism-like Emergency Break." License: Creative Commons (by nc). Photo taken by Joris Vreeke from Ireland.

Lost in Beijing

Lost in Beijing [ large preview ]
"Wierds and confusing signs in a station in Beijing." License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/fr/. Photo taken by Thomas Bardin from France.

Mexico City Auditorio’s Subway Sign

Mexico City Auditorio’s Subway Sign [ large preview ]
"This is a sing in the inside of a Subway in Mexico City." Photo taken by José Arturo García garcía from Mexico City.

Blue Line of Chicago

Blue Line of Chicago [ large preview ]
"The signage that help you not to lost the way in CTA Blue Line." Created by Miss Tanida Pupatarapong from Thailand.

Melbourne subway station

Melbourne subway station [ large preview ]
"The sign for a subway station in Melbourne, Australia." Created by Brooke Pitson from Australia.

Signal

Signal [ large preview ]
"Signal-sign-Brussels-Underground." Created by David Marquie from Belgium.

Fire

Fire [ large preview ]
"Fire hose nozzle sign Brussels Underground." Created by David Marquie from Belgium.

Alarm

Alarm [ large preview ]
"SOS sign and device Brussels Underground." Created by David Marquie from Belgium.

subway directions signage

subway directions signage [ large preview ]
"Picture was taken in a subway passage in Bucharest; it’s a touch-screen map with irections." Photo taken by Alexandra Haret from Romania.

Italian Style

Italian Style [ large preview ]
"New tunnel in Milan where the construction workers didn’t realize that the signs have different distances to the exits. Therefore some smart/lazy guy, just taped new numbers over the orignial ones, italian style." Photo taken by Fabian Rauch from Austria.

Tube vienna

Tube vienna [ large preview ]
"The photo was taken in a tube in vienna." Photo taken by David Graesser from Germany.

Cellphone off signage

Cellphone off signage [ large preview ]
"Photo of signage located within a subway train in Tokyo, Japan." Photo taken by Paul Thompson from USA.

Thank you!

Thanks to all participants for taking their time for preparing and sending submissions for the contest and creating a unique and diversified gallery presented above. We truly appreciate and respect your efforts and your time, folks!

Further Galleries

You may want to take a look at other contest galleries, too:

• Abstract and Weird Signs 1
• Abstract and Weird Signs 2
• Advertising and Promotional Signs 1
• Advertising and Promotional Signs 2
• Corporate Logos and Branding Signs
• “Forbidden” Signs 1
• “Forbidden” Signs 2
• Funny, Clever and Original Signs 1
• Funny, Clever and Original Signs 2
• Funny, Clever and Original Signs 3
• Graffiti and Hand-Written Signs 1
• Graffiti and Hand-Written Signs 2
• Hotel, Restaurant and Diner Signs 1
• Hotel, Restaurant and Diner Signs 2
• Hotel, Restaurant and Diner Signs 3
• Information and Instructional Signs 1
• Information and Instructional Signs 2
• Library Signs
• Monument and Memorial Signs
• Museum Signs 1
• Museum Signs 2
• Public and State Building Signs 1
• Public and State Building Signs 2
• Road and Street Signs 1
• Road and Street Signs 2
• Road and Street Signs 3
• Road and Street Signs 4
• Road and Street Signs 5
• School and Park Signs
• Shop and Store Signs 1
• Shop and Store Signs 2
• Shop and Store Signs 3
• Street Wayfinding Signs 1
• Street Wayfinding Signs 2
• Street Wayfinding Signs 3
• Street Wayfinding Signs 4
• Train and Airport Signs 1
• Train and Airport Signs 2
• Underground and Metro Signs
• Warning and Danger Signs 1
• Warning and Danger Signs 2
• Warning and Danger Signs 3
• Warning and Danger Signs 4
• Warning and Danger Signs 5
• Wayfinding in Buildings Signs 1
• Wayfinding in Buildings Signs 2
• WC and Restroom Signs 1
• WC and Restroom Signs 2
• Welcome Signs
• Other photos 1
• Other photos 2