If there’s one thing that’ll brighten your morning commute, it’s a beautiful train station: something aesthetically pleasing, cleverly designed or soothing to be in as you move through the world.
And while a lot of stations are quite forgettable, that definitely isn’t the case for the six rail hubs recognised this year by Prix Versailles, a prestigious world architecture and design award. The awards recognise architectural projects from airports to universities that are innovative, creative, sustainable and harmonious with their local environment (AKA, downright beautiful).
And ticking all those boxes is Schafbergbahn Station in St. Wolfgang, Austria, which bagged the main prize as the world’s most beautiful passenger station this year.
Toulouse Matabiau Station won a special prize for its exterior and Grand Central Madison earned recognition for its interior design.
‘Each building and each space that we are memorialising today has the power to transform our society, make our lives more harmonious and connected, and inspire us to better inhabit the world,’ said Benjamin Millepied, Chairman of the Jury.
These are the six most beautiful train stations in 2024
- Schafbergbahn Station, St. Wolfgang, Austria
- Bell Station Melbourne, Australia
- Beijing Station Beijing, China
- Toulouse Matabiau Station Toulouse, France
- Chiaia Metro Station Naples, Italy
- Grand Central Madison New York, US
Annually, the awards name the world’s most beautiful airports, campuses, passenger stations, sports stadiums, museums, emporiums (shops), hotels and restaurants, too – you can have a look at the website here.
Did you see that these are officially the world’s most powerful passports right now?
Plus: A sleeper train connecting two European capitals could be returning in 2025.
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