Giving his talk, subtitled “TfLL – Transforming London’s Looks”, author, broadcaster, and documentary filmmaker Mark Ovenden described how London had grown rapidly from the 18th century onwards. The first railways, such as the Surrey Iron Railway (1803) and the first commuter railway, were built around the city but did not help people travel across London.

As steam train designs developed, the solution was to bore tunnels underground, with cuttings to allow engine steam to disperse. The first underground railway opened in 1863. By 1868, a number of underground stations had been designed incorporating very elaborate architecture, such as orbs and glass canopies. In the 1880s, the City and South London line opened, with stations covered in white ceramic tiles to reflect the light. Some stations had glass domes to accommodate lifts. Many stations were built out of terracotta brick with flat roofs, so that additional storeys could be added and rented out above, thereby bringing in much-needed revenue.

The “Underground” was considered expensive at 2p a fare, so it needed to advertise. Frank Pick realised that the name and logo were crucial. He had clear, lit beacons installed at stations with “Underground” written prominently on them. He commissioned a map of the system, which was displayed at stations and was eventually replaced in the 1950s by the version we know today, created by Harold F. Hutchison. Pick also borrowed the idea from the Paris Metro of using very large white lettering on a blue background for station names. Edward Johnston designed the now-iconic logo—a red circle crossed by a blue bar—first seen in the 1920s. Many posters advertising the Underground were produced, while new stations were designed in the “Art Deco” style.

The Underground continued to expand in the 20th and 21st centuries with the DLR, the extension to Heathrow, the Jubilee Line, and the Elizabeth line. Design and architecture have moved with the times in response to Frank Pick’s original statement: “The test of the goodness of a design is if it is fit for purpose.”

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By Liz Beecheno