The stations of Chicago's Initial System of Subways; the State, and Milwaukee-Dearborn lines, are unique examples of Art Moderne style architecture. Designed in the late 1930s, many remain intact despite occasional additions and renovation programs. Beginning in the 1970s, and continuing to the present, the CTA has been renovating in a manner un-sympathetic to the original designs. It was, and still is possible to upgrade these stations while preserving their aesthetic integrity.
The Architectural Forum
The first passenger subway line in the world, the Metropolitan Railway, now part of the London Underground, opened in 1863. The first formal plan for Chicago regarding the passenger subway was the famous 1909 Plan of Chicago. Prior to the Plan, and perhaps influential to it, subways were built in a number of other large cities, most notably Paris, New York, and Boston.
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