Paris is undertaking its largest expansion of the Metro in half a century, highlighted by striking new stations such as Villejuif-Gustave Roussy, designed by Dominique Perrault as an “inverted skyscraper” filled with light and open space.  Part of a vast project adding 68 driverless stations and 200km of track at a cost of about €40bn, the development will create new orbital lines around the outer suburbs and ranks among Europe’s biggest public engineering schemes.  While Paris’s Metro entrances have long been iconic—from Hector Guimard’s Art Nouveau designs to the classic “METRO” signs—many new stations are now architectural showpieces in their own right, including Saint-Denis Pleyel and La Défense.  Beyond aesthetics, the expansion aims to bridge the divide between central Paris and its suburbs, supported by measures such as a single-price ticket to promote equality and connectivity across the region.

Nick Szwed