ABOUT 

23rd Street (2023)

The Subway Color Archive (SCA) chronicles the layered chromatic and sensory-based elements of MTA platforms.

2023-26 research highlights the columns that support the Independent Line (IND).


8th Avenue Line stations between 207th St. and Jay St. Metrotech have nearly a century of color history, now revisited.

In progress: Crosstown Line (IND) Court Street to Church Avenue

↘ Research from 2023-2025 was supported by the 2023 Independent Projects program, a grant partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts and The Architectural League of New York. Independent Project grants are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State legislature.

↘ Ongoing work is funded through contributions. Venmo: @subway-color-archive

↘The SCA is not affiliated with the MTA.

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WET PAINT

The path to pursue the SCA surfaced in a seminar called  The Polychromatic Reconstruction of Architecture (Spring, 2020) taught by David Gissen at the Yale School of Architecture.

The pilot project developed during this time, “Wet Paint: A Study of Subway Columns,” focused on the 23rd Street E/C station, a local stop with moderate foot traffic. Paint chips were collected from the platform, dissected, and examined for chroma, thickness, and texture. Seven unique color phases emerged. Each progressive column reveals a portal to the layer below.