Summary
It was in 1973 that Paul Andreu, drawing on his skills and reputation, and working with Joseph-André Motte, our company designer at the time, created a quite simple but ambitious redevelopment programme for renovating stations.
This new style was based on white and classic bevelled tiles, but with the reintroduction of colour to the stations by means of two coloured lines, consisting of the lighting strips and the seats. Subconsciously, passengers memorise the colour associated with their station. They can thus determine the station name through its ambience, and without needing to look at the sign.
This union between heritage and the contemporary has been a hallmark of all company facility renovations since then. Enhancement of our heritage was continued by Bruno and Henri Gaudin in 1995 with the Metro Renewal project, and we are regularly reminded of it by all the architects we call on.
