Hector Guimard ( Paris Metro Entryway)

designed 1900, cast 2003
Cast iron and limestone, H 10 ft. x W 12 ft. x L 21 ft.
City of Chicago Public Art Collection

LOCATION:
Michigan Ave. at Van Buren St.

The distinctive entryway to the Metra Electric South Shore Line was originally designed by the influential French architect Hector Guimard for the Paris Metro system in 1900. This masterful design is recognized worldwide as a symbol of Paris. Featuring rich ornamentation based on curvilinear, asymmetrical and organic forms, it epitomizes the style that came to be known as Art Nouveau. Since the construction of the system in the early 1900s, the Parisian Transit Authority (RATP) has been casting replacement parts and additional station entries from the original molds. Chicago's edition, a recent casting, is a gift of RATP and the Union League Club of Chicago.