Volume XIII, Issue IA
Take Metro In a Wheelchair, Just Once
[click to read]
Do Metro executives know what the Metro is like for a person who uses a wheelchair? (read more)
A New Proposal for 'Elysian Lilies'
By Bob Kirchman
In Metro's Smithsonian Station, the Elevator is tucked into a dark alcove that is poorly marked. If you forget to check the status updates for elevators, you might encounter this scene... the elevator is out of service.
In the older Metro Stations in Washington D. C., the elevators might seem like an afterthought. In Smithsonian Station, the elevator sits in a dark alcove and is easily missed. Harry Weese designed the stations as a crypt, of sorts, to the Federal City. He wanted you to know you were underground.
Newer Metro stations have two elevators side by side and they are large enough for two people in wheelchairs to ride together. Smithsonian Station's elevator is relatively small. Adding to the claustrophobia is the dark alcove. While the vaulted stations and open escalators are elegant in their muted illumination, a case might be made for the elevator alcove visually signalling connection to the world above.
To that end, a variation of the 'Elysian Lilies' mural is designed below, along with a brighter ceiling light and a brighter elevator door.
'Elysian Lilies' Mural Design for a Lift Alcove. Bob Kirchman
