The surreal beauty of Stockholm's subway stations.

That's the best one could imagine about Stockholm's 90 decorated subway stations.

The Stockholm subway system is known as the "World's Longest Art Exhibition," stretching 110km and featuring the spectacular contributions of over 150 artists. This name is truly well-deserved, reflecting the dedication and hard work of these artists that this subway system has received.

Many of Stockholm's subway trains boast a modern and artistic appearance, even incorporating elements of art and architecture from previous decades. This was the initial campaign by artists Vera Nilsson and Siri Derkert to bring art to the Stockholm subway. Planned since the 1950s, the project didn't begin until 1957. Initially, only one station, T-Centralen, received a significant exterior redesign. Today, all of Stockholm's subway stations feature a stunning new look with modern designs.

Instead of leaving its walls blank or filling them with cluttered advertising space, as is often seen in subway networks worldwide, the Stockholm subway has chosen to beautify itself and hopefully encourage more passengers from the city to appreciate art and creative thinking.

These underground artworks are incredibly diverse. Here we can see the surreal Vreten station with its sky-shaped sculptures, created by artist Takashi Naraha.

Some of Stockholm's subway stations resemble caves, as they were originally built by blasting through the underground rock, leaving behind jagged traces. Turning this drawback into an advantage in artistic creation, artists and architects have collaborated to produce impressive and highly artistic designs.

In the 1960s, bare rock faces were covered with a smooth layer of concrete. But by the 1970s, a less expensive technique was used: spraying concrete directly onto the rock surface, yielding surprising visual effects.

The surreal beauty of subway stations:

This is the Alby station, designed by artist Olle Ängkvist in 1975, and nicknamed the "secret cave".

The murals by artist Ängkvist have been largely preserved. At the Alby station, the artist created a striking contrast between the grey tiled floor and the sophisticated metal electrical network on the ceiling. From the beginning, the electrical network was also installed on the natural rock foundation of the underground station walls, without affecting the existing underground environment.

The station's name is Nackrosen, meaning "water lily." Artist Lizzie Olsson Arle turned to aquatic plants, inspired by her 1975 station decoration. This distinctive mural is displayed on the vaulted ceiling between the two steps of the subway. The Nackrosen station also reflects the spirit of the famous Swedish film studio, as artist Olsson Arle incorporated decorative materials from the film industry into the station's design.

This is another view of Nackrosen station, with white pebbles scattered along the walls, and lilies and other carved shapes beneath the pedestals. With its harmonious beauty, the station also offers a sense of tranquility to passengers after a stressful day at work.

Duvbo is also an underground power station designed in 1985. Artist Gosta Sillén worked closely with the architect and engineer. The entire design is reminiscent of a rock face with strange fossils.

At the T-Centralen station, one can see the blue and white pattern on the beautiful blue lines. This was the first station to be refurbished in the 1950s, but artist Per Olof Ultvedt redesigned the area in 1975.

The interior design at Rådhuset station is minimalist, using only earthy tones and architecture resembling an ancient palace or temple underground. In fact, the station is built to look like a historical monument with artifacts such as leather pouches and baskets, as well as stone pillars. Artist Sigvard Olsson created Rådhuset station in 1975. It is the fourth deepest station in Stockholm at 20.5 meters.

The art at Stadion is especially popular with children because of the giant, elongated rainbow image designed by artists Enno Hallek and Åke Pallarp in 1937. No matter how gloomy the sky outside, this underground world always shines brightly.

Kungsträdgården means "God's garden." The station has rough, thorny stone walls on either side, resembling the exterior of a mountain. The Kungsträdgården station is 34 meters deep. Artist Ulrik Samuelson wanted to transform it into a beautiful garden reminiscent of past decades. The main stations were first built in 1977 and received artistic inspiration a decade later.

One of the most interesting features is at the Skampnäck station, with 17 long stone benches permanently fixed on the steps, designed by artist Richard Nonas in 1994. In addition to the benches, there are 17 other carved stone blocks on the pedestrian bridge.

With its gleaming steel escalators resembling the interior of a rocky asteroid, the SkogenVästra station looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Its color scheme is a stark contrast to most other Stockholm stations. Designed by Sivert Lindblom in 1975, it lacks vibrant colors but possesses a strange charm, and it is also the longest escalator in Western Europe (66m long and 33m high).

Color is abundant at Centrum Morby station. In particular, the dominant color is emitted from the rock, changing depending on the viewing angle. Centrum Morby station was designed by artists Karin Ek and Gösta Wessel in 1978.

The image of Rinkeby station has a classic, science-fiction look reminiscent of the 1990s.Total RecallThe red walls evoke images of the red planet, and the metal equipment pressed against the right wall adds to the beauty of the Rinkeby station. Completed in 1975, the Rinkeby station is 12.3 km long from the Kungsträdgården station.

The walls and ceilings at Akalla station are painted in a warm ochre color, welcoming visitors during Stockholm's cold winter days. On the left wall is a ceramic mural depicting leisure activities for men and women. Artist Birgit Ståhl-Nyberg designed and decorated the station in 1977.

In Stockholm, it's not just the metro stations that are colorful; even the train stations are works of art. Two twin trains stand out against the surrounding gray landscape at Hjulsta station.

The colors and textures at Stockholm's metro stations come from children's drawings on an extensive scale in Halloenbergen (Germany) – representing creative public space design.

Tue Tam

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