by Bill Paton, Solutioneer
This was a proposal I put forward for an arts competition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Transit subway system. I never really expected it to be accepted, since it is a fairly experimental and unorthodox method for building as well as art-wise. I am printing it here as an example of what I believe to be a "Through-thought-out" concept which I believe was feasible and an example of Solutioneering Vision in action. I would be interested in other's thoughts about this matter since I think it is worthy for consideration.
The average subway patron uses the subway as simply another mode of transport. Under this proposal, the subway will become dynamic, alive, invigorating. Riders will look forward to going to work in the morning. It will attract Torontonians and tourists. It will become a community meeting place and will help build a sense of community, which will create a more pleasant, and perhaps a safer community.
Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, and people generally settle in an area they feel akin to. Yet on the subway platforms there is very little interaction between people. Riders read their papers, the ads or look down the platform to see when the train is coming. Talking to strangers is met with resistance and perhaps fear. Imagine a subway platform where strangers are talking animatedly with each other.
People are learning new ideas, life skills and actually enjoying their waiting time. When the train arrives, the conversations and thought processes would continue, which might spread like a wave through the rest of the train. The only times I've ever seen this occur is when people have a shared experience they can talk about, for example, at College Station after a hockey game or concert when people talk about what they've seen. At Union Station people dressed in dinner jackets and gowns discuss the ballet. It becomes a warm and memorable part of the event. Halloween costumes also create instant rapport between riders. . With the current and future technologies of VCRs, Home Computers and who knows what else, "cocooning" at home is going to become more prominent in our lives. It can create alienation and a loss of community. The concept I propose is intended to promote active discussion, learning and exploration through four basic approaches. Each stands on its own, yet is interrelated in the grand scheme of the Station design. Each of these concepts can also be integrated with other artist's work. This is how a rider might experience them as they went through the Station.
After paying the fare, the rider sees off to the side a Community Area. There is a small display case that has exhibits that change every two weeks. These might be local history artifacts, someone's hobby collection, artwork, or local school art or science projects.
Perhaps seasonal exhibits could be displayed. There is a phone number to arrange for placing an exhibit there. Beside this would be a local bulletin board which would list Community events, garage sales and helpful hints. There would be a section for community history as well.
Next to this there would be three collection boxes. One would be for used postage stamps for the Boy Scouts, one for old Prescription glasses for the Third World, and one for grocery tapes for purchasing Wheelchairs. This encourages people to contribute because of their accessibility. A volunteer community coordinator could oversee this area.
Going down the passageway to the platform the rider would see a Series of Circles drawn around the floor, walls and roof that would look like rings pointed slightly away from them. Walking down the passageway, they see that they are not really circular because they are painted on flat surfaces. As they pass through the shapes come alive. Essentially the painting becomes a sculpture and optical illusion and the patron becomes part of it. It is similar to the sensation of sitting at the front window of the subway train going through the dark passageways and watching the circles of light which you pass through. What is also amazing about this sensation is that the experience is completely different depending on which direction along the passageway you are going. I saw something like this in an art gallery in Paris and people walked back and forth through it dozens of times. The other passageway would have a similar painting, although this would be of Diamond Shaped Rectangles which creates its own unique experience both coming and going.
Coming onto the platform the rider would see a series of scattered multicoloured circles on the ground. They would be four feet in diameter which is wide enough to fit several people inside yet allow easy access past them. Each would have a word which would be a topic for discussion within that Circle. People who wanted to talk about that topic would stand inside it. It is an instant icebreaker. If you came along, you would know what to talk to someone about, and I'm willing to bet if you shared that interest you would. Discussion Circles could include: Sports, Business, Music, Art, Science, Television, Movies, Food, Travel, News, History, Fashion, Ecology, Canada, or French. It is that simple. Standing in the circle means you are willing to talk. You can still read your paper until someone comes by. This will create a sense of community in itself. This can easily be tried temporarily in existing stations.
For others there is a series of General Interest Topic Posters behind clear plastic which would be able to be changed regularly. Topics might include: Toronto Bird Identification, Astronomy, the Deaf Sign Language, knots, the Canadian Constitution, Local History, or French Grammar. It would give people a few minutes in a busy day to improve themselves, and over a month or a year they could become proficient in specific skills. There would also be a clear plastic display of 10 or 15 Page-a-Day Calendars that would be changed daily. Some of these have Cartoons, quotes, daily Horoscopes, Daily Affirmation, Vocabulary building or self improvement tips. They would give people another option for self improvement.
This would be a series of Fun and Interactive Exhibits designed to challenge and explore the senses with the look and feel of the Ontario Science Center. These would include: Plastic Fun-House mirrors, Holograms, 3-D Puzzles, Optical Illusions, Colour and Light Experiments, and wind experiments which the trains themselves would influence. There would also be a Rock Core Sample taken from the platform construction showing the Rock stratification of the Earth at the platform level. This would have geographical and historical dating of the area.