Daniel Buren reimagines the London Underground’s iconic roundel symbol
The London Underground's relationship with fine art spans nearly a century. The network has presented a united face of design, typography, architecture and fine art since the late 1920s, a tradition that has been nobly upheld in the most recent extensions to the tube system and in the myriad examples of print and poster design that are commissioned every year.
In the past decade, Art on the Underground has offered up one of TfL's smallest canvases to some big names in the art world. The humble Tube Map, handed out for free across the capital, has seen covers by Gary Hume, David Shrigley, Liam Gillick, Cornelia Parker, Mark Wallinger, Tracey Emin, Rachel Whiteread and more.
The 21st edition of the series is the work of French artist Daniel Buren, renowned for his rigorously geometric artworks and scultures - most recently seen atop the roof of Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse in Marseille. For Art on the Underground, Buren has created 'From A Single One To Millions', a piece that subverts and explores London Underground's iconic roundel symbol, refined by the typographer Edward Johnston in the twenties and further perfected by the graphic designer Hans Schleger the following decade. The circle and bar was subsequently translated into signage, 3D lettering, architectural devices and way-finding by many others, including the Design Research Unit and Wolff Olins.
Daniel Buren's interpretation goes back to the graphic simplicity of the original, abstracting the corporate identity into the basis for a densely layered geometric pattern, grounded by a grid of blue lines. It's classic Buren, but also suitably reverential to the culture and aesthetic of the Underground itself.
The artwork also foreshadows a new permanent artwork by the artist, created as part of the reconstruction of Tottenham Court Road station (itself part of the massive infrastructural upgrade required for Crossrail). As with the other 20 commissions, the latest Tube Map is a welcome addition to the ongoing aim of putting fine art into millions of pockets.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Looking for a long-range luxury EV that’s a true Tesla alternative? Welcome to the Lucid Air
We drive the Lucid Air, the high-performance Californian EV that’s a welcome leftfield choice in a sea of Musk-mobiles. Vote Lucid!
By Guy Bird Published
-
Umbrian castle hotel Reschio seduces with 1,000 years of history, now explored in a new book
The estate, home to a boutique hotel and rentable houses, is documented in Rizzoli's ‘Reschio: the First Thousand Years’ – and is open for stays
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Light, nature and modernist architecture: welcome to the reimagined Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens and its modernist Roberto Burle Marx-designed greenhouse get a makeover by Weiss/Manfredi and Reed Hildebrand in the US
By Ian Volner Published
-
Philippe Parreno and Daniel Buren cast spectral shadows in Paris
Inaugurating Kamel Mennour’s fifth gallery space, designed by Pierre Yovanovitch, the French artists unveil their first joint exhibition, and it raises more questions than answers
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Last updated
-
Working the room: Daniel Buren sheds light on his new installation
By Charlotte Jansen Last updated
-
Le Voyage à Nantes 2017: micro-homes, petrified palm trees and a steampunk menagerie
By Jessica Klingelfuss Last updated
-
Train of thought: artists Langlands & Bell celebrate Frank Pick’s design philosophy
By Elly Parsons Last updated
-
City limits: Bortolami Gallery’s ’Artist/City’ upends the traditional exhibition model
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Child’s play: Daniel Buren showcases his new installation at the Museo Espacio
By Michael Slenske Last updated
-
All change: Daniel Buren makes a connection at Tottenham Court Road
By Amy Serafin Last updated
-
Observatory of Light: Daniel Buren at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
By Amy Verner Last updated