Where can you track down 17 colourful versions of Marble Arch?
On the platforms at Marble Arch Underground station where the gleaming white marble of the Triumphal Arch upstairs has been replaced with bright colours and bold patterns.
There are 17 different murals in total, offering dizzying permutations of the Grade I listed monument, punctuated by station roundels. Each is made up of 9 vitreous enamel panels and were created by artist Annabel Grey in the 1980s.
Grey’s website records that she “spent 22 months working in a sign factory in South London. Each colour was hand sprayed by her, etched when dry and then fired before adding the next colour and repeating the process. Each panel required at least 10 separate firings.”
All that effort was worth it. The colours are cheerful and glorious and once you spot the familiar shape of the Arch repeated along the length of the platform you can’t help but look out for them as your train moves through the stop.
Next time you’re passing through the station, check out all 17 colourful versions of Marble Arch.
Annabel Grey was commissioned by London Regional Transport to create the artwork for Marble Arch Underground station and was also responsible for the delightful series of hot air balloon mosaics on the platforms of Finsbury Park Underground station.
With thanks to London Transport Museum Library and Information Service.
