The Coolest Métro Station in Paris...
- Parisian Niche
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
You know P'Niche is in love with the Parisian métro system. It's one of the most stable relationships in my life (le giggle) and my favorite way to zip around town, when not playing la flâneuse (flâneur for the fellas).
Today, let's take a P'Niche peek at the fave of many Parisians - the Arts et Métiers station...
When you think of the Parisian métro, sweeping, curving entryways likely spring to your mind - as part of the Art Nouveau movement and work of Hector Guimard in the early 1900s (and we're staying within the 19th and 20th centuries here, as the P'Niche Time Travel Machine is out for scheduled maintenance.) Today, though, we're headed underground and into modernity...
Within the 3rd arrondissement, the Arts et Métiers station is serves both the # 3 and # 11 lines of the Parisian métro.
Nestled within the Arts et Métiers-Temple quarter, it is perfectly situated to service the busy intersections of rue Beaubourg, rue Réaumur, and rue de Turbigo (hey, remember the Angel de Turbigo?!)
With this station opening on October 19, 1904, this area of the line 3 connected the distances between Père Lachaise and Villiers. The exact station (running east-west) is situated between Réaumur-Sébastopol (connecting to métro Line 4) and Temple (no connection or transfer at this station).
Also running east-west (although further east, the Line 11 Arts et Métiers station opened on April 28, 1935 connecting the massive Châtelet (métro Lines 1, 4, 7, 14 and RER Lines A, B, D) and Porte de Lilas (Line 3Bis).
Ok, P'Niche when are you going to get to the "cool stuff?" Yeah, Yeah...
And I do hate to disappoint you, but the # 3 platforms are surprisingly... ordinary. Aligned in sleek curvature, it is decorated in the Ouï-dire style. That is to say "Hearsay," taking its moniker from the design firm credited with the creation of this design. Clean, sure. A bit dull? Also, oui.
Ok, let's transfer over to the Line 11 - now we're talking!
This station looks positively... steampunk!
And rightfully, so, as steampunk is a fantastical sci-fi subgenre that infuses it's aesthetic with futuristic technology, and a cheeky nod / wink to the 19th century industrialization movement with it's steam powered machinery. Amazing, right? But, why here? Why now? Great Questions!
As we enter 1994, we approach the bicentenary of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers.
Belgian cartoonist, François Schuiten and French screenwriter, Benoît Pweeters were engaged to revamp the entire area in this steampunk style, fashioning the platforms into a wonderland that play off the sci-fi works of HG Wells and Jules Verne. Think Time Machine, Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - but make it fashion!
The entirety of the platform walls and ceiling were covered solely in riveted copper plates, stepping away from the uniform earthenware tiles of the Ouï-dire style.
You feel as though you are indeed inside the submarine of Jules Verne, voyaging to the great depths below...
Walking along the platform, you will start to notice various portholes (decorated by Bleu Méthylène) inserted into the walls of the platform, transporting you even deeper into the realm of the Jules Verne-esque submarine.
Otherworld images are sure to delight and inspire your imagination from cathedrals and castles of the past to fantasy like space ships, hovering over the earth below. So, are we beneath the surface of the earth or coasting in the outer atmosphere?
It's all left to your imagination as you wait for the train to arrive and take you to your real life destination.
It's hard to feel métro-boulot-dodo (commute, work, sleep) when you travel in such creative style!
If you are lucky enough to wait in (or arrive) at the Arts et Métiers platform you'll notice the lack of ads and marketing posters. This station is about creativity and ingenuity, not consumerism. Make sure to take a brief pause to appreciate the workmanship here that even finds its way to the masterpiece of a ceiling. Giant cogs seem suspended in motion, enhancing the funky vibe of this station. It truly is something to behold.
Want visit the subterranean wonder that is the Arts et Métiers station?
Remember, you can only access this wonderland of a platform, by using métro Line 11, Arts et Métiers. All published métro operating hours and fees apply...
And don't forget to visit the Musée des Arts et Métiers nearby! More on that later, so we hope you subscribe and meet us back here in the Parisian Niche...
What do you say, P'Nicher, are you ready to check out the Arts et Métiers station or do you have another favorite station? Let us know in the comments below et à bientôt!
One of my favorite stations, merci for the highlight !
This is soooo coool! I can't wait to make my own visit! ~Janis