The use of ceramic tiling has been popular in the Iberian peninsula for centuries. You’ll want a closer view of course: Detail of frieze at the top of the main hall’s south wall. If you look really closely in the corner of the main hall in the first photograph you can see a train. The frieze around the top of the main hall depicts a history of transport. The real fun at São Bento station, however, is all on the inside. Photo by rilo 2006 (Portugal), via Wikimedia Commons
It is an early work by architect José Marques da Silva (1869-1947), and it opened for business in 1916. It’s a perfectly pleasant Beaux Arts building, though nothing obviously special. Photo by Concierge.2C (Own work), via Wikimedia Commonsįrom the outside, São Bento station belies little of its extraordinary internal decoration. Ready? The main hall at São Bento station, looking towards the south-east corner. Though we’ve already looked at some British examples of tiled railway maps at stations in this earlier blog entry, São Bento station takes things to another level completely. It is carried out in the medium of ceramic tiling. São Bento railway station in Porto has one of the most unexpected interior decoration schemes of any twentieth century station.
0 kommentar(er)
