GoKawiilWe first published this post on October 6, 2014. We're running it again because it's still interesting!
Metro is well known for its distinctive vaulted station ceilings, but not all stations are the same. There are 11 different basic architectural station designs in the Metro system. Let’s see where they are. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion, I’m using some of the station type names from the Washington page of NYCSubway.org. In other cases, I’m using my own terms.)
First, the underground stations:
Waffle
By far the most common station type is the “waffle” style vault envisioned by the CFA and Harry Weese. This station type is present at 32 stations, including most of the downtown stops. These vaults are characterized by the smaller rectangular coffers that line the walls, making them look somewhat like a waffle wrapped around the train room.
Most of these stations were constructed using the pour-in-place method, though Dupont Circle was constructed using precast panels.
U Street. All photos by the author.
The waffle design first appeared when the system opened in 1976. The final two waffle stations, Waterfront and Navy Yard, opened in 1991 when the Green Line started running.
Arch I
Following the waffle designs, Metro started using a different design with precast sections to save money. These stations, which NYCSubway.org and I call “Arch I,” are somewhat similar to the waffle design, but instead of featuring several rows of narrow rectangular coffers, this design places just two coffers on each half of the vault.
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