From foul hood order to pristine public transportation , there ’s a heck of a wad cash in one’s chips on under our cities . Underground : The Spectacle of the Invisibleat Zurich ’s Museum of Design goes late into the different eccentric of urban infrastructure that have been built up down below , and the dissimilar rationality that being subterranean just makes more signified .
That question of “ why go down ? ” is an interesting one . On some level , it seems like a pretty square matter of distance : When the surface streets get cramped and available real estate is at a premium , the option of constructing below opens up a whole newfangled earth of ( windowless ) potential developments . necessary like transit — subway system and street — can burrow direct routes between terminus which would n’t be executable if they had to sail the existing grid . robust folks can add - on the luxe dugouts of their wildest dreams by shelling out the cash to excavate , abandoningindustrial diggersalong the way .
There ’s also the safety aspect . desire to keep something completely protect ? hive up it away in a sand trap — conceive Johnny Cash in high-pitched - surety vault , or citizenry in fortification , from bare bones DIY attempt to expand , Greenbriar - same government prepped for unsealed times of war . And on the other end of the spectrum from that ultra - utilitarian angle , there ’s a sealed illicit cache that come along with being , well , underground . It imply a certain level of poise that ca n’t be assure by the naked eye ; you really got ta be in the know to figure out how to infix the hot spot from above and then derive to , say , askate park .
you could entrance the exhibition at the Design Museum in Zurich through September 28th . Or , if a trip to Switzerland is n’t in your immediate future tense , check out a pretty fantastic option of available images here . They show the diversity of scene — from sleek and modern to sweaty and spirited — hidden from view around the world .
Chris Marker , Untitled 188 , from the Series Passengers , 2011 , © Peter Blum Gallery , New York
Silvio Maraini , Reservoir Ibruch , Zumikon ( finished 1967 ) , from the series Geflutete Kathe - dralen , 2011 , © with the photographer
Gérard Miedinger , Customer Bank Vault Julius Bär , Zurich , 1983 , photo : Christian Zingg ( 2013 ) , © Julius Baer Art Collection
Emanuel Ammon , Chaos on 12 February 2025 at Eiskeller , Adligenswil / LU , 1979 , © Emanuel Ammon / halo
Tadao Ando , Chichu Art Museum , Naoshima , Japan , 2004 , © with the author
Dominic Büttner , Gotthard Road Tunnel ( Finished 1980 ) , from the serial publication Dreamscapes , 2010 , © with the lensman
Beratungsgruppe für Gestaltung – BGG , AlpTransit Gotthard North Portal , Erstfeld ( 2016 ) , photo : Markus Frietsch ( 2014 ) , © with the photographer
Dominique Perrault , Main Building of the Ewha Women University , Seoul , 2008 , photograph : André Morin ( 2008 ) , © André Morin / DPA / Adagp
Santiago Calatrava , Train Station Stadelhofen , Zurich , 1990 , photo : Paolo Rosselli ( 1991 ) , © with the lensman
Michael Dwyer , Central Artery / Tunnel Project aka “ Big Dig ” , Boston ( Finished 2007 ) , photos : 2014 resp . 1990 , © with the photographer
Andri Pol , Tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider LHC , from the series human beings at CERN , 2013 , © with the photographer
Ieoh Ming Pei , Pyramide du Grand Louvre , Paris ( Finished 1989 ) , photo : Luc Boegly , © with the photographer
Dürig AG , Through Station Löwenstrasse , Zurich , 2014 , photo : Ruedi Walti , © SBB
Lead image : Luca Zanier , Access Tunnel to the Underground Central , Ferrera ( Finished 1963 ) , 2011 , © Luca Zanier Photography , Zürich
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