The World's 18 Strangest Train Stations

When riding a train or subway involves waiting in a dingy, dark, bland station, fleeing to the comfort of our cars—even in the face of endless traffic— becomes tempting. Some architects hear your pain and have designed stations that are comfortable, efficient and interesting. Here are the most innovative transit-station designs in the world.

By Kathryn Kennedy


Shibuya Station—Tokyo, Japan

Background: Designed by architect Tadao Ando, the Shibuya station is one of the busiest commuter-rail stations in Japan—it serves over 2 million passengers each day. The station is a gateway from the center of Tokyo to its suburbs.

Why It's Unique: Nielsen says that when architects are designing a station, they want a commuter's experience to be pleasant. "We're trying to encourage people to use the system," he says. "We're trying to encourage people to get out of their cars and take transit." Ando designed his station as an underground spaceship. Passengers are carried down into the underground flying saucer through a three-level atrium in the station. And this spaceship is also environmentally conscious, allowing fresh air and light to travel through the atrium and ventilation shaft, as well as holding a water cooling system in the fiberglass walls, cutting down the station's power usage.
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