Erbil Metro Station • Case Study
1.3 Historical Review
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Subways have almost 150 years tradition in Europe and a little bit more than 80 years in Japan, They are one of the most popular and most efficient means of urban transportation. Connected with other railways and extending out from the inner city, they are basic infrastructure of the rapid transit. Like railway stations above the ground, underground Figure 1.1 • First Tunel, London, 1863. subway stations are important elements of the urban scape that are determining the image of the city. Therefore already in the past, aesthetic design of subway stations has been recognized at historical European stations. However, only recently subway station design has been getting more challenging and totally-oriented.
1.3.2 Europe Istanbul Tunnel is one of the worlds oldest short underground railway lines in Istanbul, Turkey. It is an underground funicular with two stations, connecting the quarters of Karaköy and Beyoğlu. Tunnel construction works started on June 30, 1871. On July, 1872 British company “The Metropolitan Railway of Constantinople to the Galata Pera” was registered. On December 5, 1874 the construction was completed and started carrying people on January 17, 1875.
1.3.1 The First Tunnel The first urban underground railway was the Metropolitan Railway, which began operations on January 10, 1863. It was built largely in shallow tunnels (Image 1.1) and is now part of the London Underground. Between 1863 to 1890 there were numerous proposals to build pneumatic or cable-hauled railways in London to overcome this problem, but Figure 1.2 • An engraving from the Illustrated London News showing the initial construction stages of London’s Metropolitan Railway at King’s Cross in 1861. none proved successful.