Deep under the traffic circle of the same name in Northwest D.C. sits a 1970s, brutalist metro vault designed by Harry Weese’s; featuring a coffered concrete arch, hexagonal floor tiles, twin tracks, and a curved mezzanine. The north entrance is a circular well, with 188ft escalators ascending and descending into and out of what appears to be a concrete abyss. Off-peak you get the full length of the descent with almost no one on the steps, and can appreciate the slightly too perfect symmetry and winding endlessness of the station below. It also shares a liminal parallel with Dupont Station, in Toronto – another 70’s subway with original features, winding corridors, and glass bubble entrance.
Photo credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dupont_Circle_station.jpg , “Dupont Circle Station” by Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0 , “Dupont Circle Station” by Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0 , “16.WMATA.DupontCircleStation.NW.WDC.21October2012” by Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , “Dupont Circle Station” by inazakira, CC BY-SA 2.0 , “Dupont Circle Station” by Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
