22-02-2025
The London Underground station hiding an art gallery on an abandoned platform
London's TfL network has its fair share of stunning and not-so-stunning stations. Gants Hill is often hailed as one of the most beautiful stops on the network by Tube and architecture buffs alike.
But there's one popular station that stands out for a unique reason - it doubles as an art gallery. If you often travel on the District and Circle lines, you might already know we're talking about Gloucester Road.
Located in South Kensington, Gloucester Road is one of the Underground's older stations, first opening in 1868 with subsurface platforms. Its deep-level platforms weren't added until 1906.
READ MORE: The only London railway station with a Platform 0
For the past 25 years, this station has been home to Art on the Underground, a TfL initiative that brings temporary sculptures, murals, and photography exhibitions to public spaces. These installations are displayed on a disused platform beside the Circle and District lines.
The first exhibition at this station was Underground Safari by Kendra Haste, which debuted in 2000. Since then, the platform has hosted striking works, from Cindy Sherman billboards in 2003 to even a giant panda head in 2007.
One of the most ambitious commissions yet ran in 2018 - 2019. My name is lettie eggsyrub by Heather Phillipson transformed the space into a sculptural and video installation, using video game-inspired visuals to magnify eggs and bird body parts.
Last year, Pond Life by Monster Chetwynd turned the platform into a lily pad paradise, featuring oversized medallions showcasing frogs and other pond creatures. Passengers on the Circle and District lines can still take in the work as they pass through Gloucester Road. There's also a sign explaining the exhibition on the platform.
Now, to mark 25 years of Art on the Underground, TfL is rolling out four new large-scale installations at key stations like Stratford and Waterloo. One of these was inspired by a 2020 incident when a Rotterdam Metro train was 'saved' from disaster by a 10-metre-high sculpture of a whale's tail - sounds interesting, right?
It remains to be seen if Gloucester Road will get another exciting transformation in 2025. But if you're passing through, be sure to take a moment to appreciate the current exhibition on display.
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